"The company submitted the DPR of the project around a week ago," Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM), told Republica.[break]
The ministry entrusted to look after the project development has formed a six-member technical committee to meticulously evaluate the report that was submitted by NPBC. "The committee led by Hariom Srivastav, joint secretary at the ministry, will evaluate the DPR and give a decision whether the report is appropriate," Sitaula said.
According to Sitaula, the company will get a go ahead if the committee approves the DPR prepared by NPBC. "We will mainly focus on the budget part in DPR," Sitaula said. "The company´s cost estimation will be analyzed with due care. That´s the most important part"
The government had awarded the project to NPBC to conduct the DPR of the 50 km long tunnel highway that will connect Kathmandu and Hetauda under the built-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) act. The government had signed a preliminary agreement with NPBC in last May allowing the latter to conduct DPR.
"The government will allow NPBC to go for construction if the DPR satisfies us," Sitaula said.
NPBC, the project developer, has clarified that the cost can fluctuate on the basis of quality of the tunnel highway. "We have given multiple options to the government. Cost will fluctuate based on the quality of the tunnel way," said Lal Krishna KC, vice project director and chairperson the company.
According to KC, DPR is open to what government would want it to do.
The company plans to start construction of the project by February 2013 if the government gives a final decision on DPR within this month. "The project will be completed by December 2016 if we get to start working by February next year," KC further said.
The company will have to comply with the preliminary agreement that was signed between government and NPBC in last May. "Additionally, we have also outlined the project cost and other details for one time development and phase-wise development," KC said. "We can do what the government asks us to do." However, KC declined to reveal the cost estimation of the two options.
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