Kathmandu – CPN (Maoist Centre) General Secretary Dev Gurung has urged close monitoring of whether the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the U.S.-funded development initiative in Nepal, carries any underlying military dimensions.
Speaking at an interaction program in Kathmandu on Sunday, Gurung emphasized that while the project is currently framed as an economic and infrastructure partnership, the government should remain alert to any indication of strategic or defense-related objectives.
“Nepal must carefully observe whether the MCC has connections with military strategy. Up to now, such a link has not been visible in matters like land acquisition, but the possibility cannot be ignored,” Gurung noted. “If evidence ever emerges that it is tied to defense interests, the government must be ready to terminate it immediately.”
According to Gurung, financial assistance should not be dismissed outright, but decisions must be made only after evaluating its impact on national priorities. He underlined that external aid should support agriculture, industry, and the strengthening of Nepal’s domestic capital rather than weakening it.
He stressed that while development projects can help Nepal’s economy, indiscriminate acceptance of foreign assistance risks undermining national capacity: “Aid that curtails national capital formation is not in our interest. Assistance must align with Nepal’s long-term economic independence and self-reliance,” he said.
Gurung’s remarks reflect ongoing debate in Nepal about the MCC project, with supporters pointing to its infrastructure benefits and critics warning about potential geopolitical implications.
