Kathmandu, April 13 -- Nepal's Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has begun groundwork to assess the need for a dedicated "infrastructure court" aimed at fast-tracking disputes linked to development projects.

The move comes as prolonged litigation continues to delay project completion and disrupt public works. Law Minister Sobita Gautam on April 8 formed a task force to study whether such a court is necessary and how disputes could be resolved more quickly.

Projects frequently stall after contracts are terminated due to poor performance by contractors, only for those contractors to challenge the termination in court. Until cases are settled, authorities are unable to award new contracts, leaving projects idle for years....