Kathmandu, Sept 16 — Newly appointed Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal is wasting no time. Just hours after taking charge, he announced a major clean-up drive — scrapping small, scattered, and unprepared projects from this year’s budget.

Khanal has formed a three-member committee led by Suman Dahal, head of the Budget and Program Division, to recommend which projects should be cut. The committee also includes Revenue Division chief Uttarkumar Khatri and Foreign Aid Coordination Division chief Dhaniram Sharma.

The team has just three days to deliver its report, with recommendations due by Wednesday.

Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyay has estimated that eliminating these projects could free up nearly NPR 100 billion — money that could be redirected to priority programs.

Observers say this move could shake up local power dynamics, as many of the scrapped projects were backed by political leaders hoping to deliver quick results in their constituencies.