Nepal, Jan. 21 -- The Nepal Army- among major state organs like the executive, legislature, and the judiciary-was once known to be a relatively independent institution. But thanks to its growing involvement in commercial activities in recent years, it is getting embroiled in controversies. The Army operates FM radio stations, a mineral water plant and a medical college. It has been the subject of speculation over the procurement of helicopters, among other things. It has also has been tasked with the heavy responsibility of building a highway linking Kathmandu and Nijgadh, commonly known as the fast track.

The initiative to construct a 76-km expressway from Khokana at the southwestern edge of the Kathmandu Valley to Nijgadh in the Tarai ...