KATHMANDU, July 3: The Ministry of Infrastructure Development has stepped up digital public services while launching initiatives to revive long-stalled infrastructure projects as part of the government's governance reform agenda.
The ministry's reform programme includes expanding digital services, improving transport management, identifying and reviving delayed projects, and strengthening institutional accountability. While some initiatives have already been completed, others are in various stages of implementation.
A major focus has been the digitalization of the driver's license distribution system to make services faster, simpler and more transparent. The Department of Transport Management has introduced online license printing for citizens travelling abroad for foreign employment, higher education or official purposes.
According to the department, licenses printed by the Security Printing Press are now dispatched to provincial and transport offices on the same day. More than 1.349 million driver's licenses have so far been sent through postal services to transport offices for applicants who have passed driving tests or renewed their licenses. The department also regularly updates license distribution details on its website, allowing applicants to track the status of their licenses online. License-related information has also been integrated into the Citizen App.
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Senior Divisional Engineer Jibendra Mishra said the ministry has prioritized making public services digital, transparent and citizen-friendly while improving infrastructure development and transport management. The ministry has also begun linking employee performance evaluations with measurable results by preparing a draft Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based assessment system.
A performance review mechanism tied to employee accountability is also being introduced, while action plans are being prepared after collecting implementation details from various departments, ministry officials said.
The ministry has established help desks across offices under the Department of Roads to provide information and facilitate public services. A round-the-clock grievance management system has also come into operation, allowing citizens to register complaints through help desks, web portals, social media and other communication channels. An online complaint system linked to a real-time dashboard has also been launched to monitor complaint resolution.
The Department of Roads has begun operating a dashboard that provides weekly updates on the progress of road projects and other infrastructure works.
Alongside digital reforms, the ministry has initiated a review of infrastructure projects that have remained stalled, neglected or underperforming for years. Mishra said studies are underway to identify the causes of delays and prepare measures to revive projects that have failed to deliver expected results.
The ministry is also coordinating with the Information Technology Department to develop an automated file-tracking system that will monitor how long files remain at each desk and send alerts if they exceed the prescribed processing time.
The government plans to gradually integrate other public services—including citizenship, passports, national identity cards and services provided through District Administration Offices—into a unified digital system to ensure transparent, timely and trackable service delivery. Preparations are also underway to incorporate the national identity card into an integrated identification system and introduce a digital recommendation system at the ward level.
The ministry said the reforms are aimed at improving public service delivery, strengthening governance and accelerating infrastructure development through greater use of digital technology and enhanced institutional accountability.
