School unable to use new building due to wage dispute

SINDHULI, June 21: The students of Shree Prakashodaya Secondary School of Kholagaun are compelled to study in the verandah of their new school building which was constructed some three months ago.

The school and students have not been able to enter the classrooms because the construction workers demanding their unpaid wages have padlocked the classrooms. 

The school building, which has spacious classrooms, was built with a loan of Rs 40.82 million from the Asian Development Bank.

According to the locals, the students and teachers have become victims of an irresponsible handling of the project by the contractor. The contractor, Lumbini Construction, had sub-contracted the construction work to Pradip Khadka and Durga Bahadur Ghimire. 

The two later sub-contracted the work to another contractor Chandra Bahadur Thing. 

Although Thing completed the construction work, he has not paid several workers citing operational losses. It is learnt that Thing has also not received full payment for his work from his contractor.