KATHMANDU, March 27: The Road Improvement and Development Project Directorate under the Road Department under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has prepared to terminate the contract of the Bhaktapur-Nagarkot-Sipaghat road section.

The directorate has issued a public notice asking Aravalli Infrapower Limited-Shailung Construction Company Pvt Ltd, JV Talchikhel, Sunakothi, who has been awarded the contract, to report to the office within 14 days if there is any reason why the contract should not be terminated.

The office has given written and oral instructions time and time again but said that no concrete progress has been seen and now there is no option but to break the contract. The road construction should have been completed by January 14 last year.

As the office did not complete the work, the contract will be  terminated by specifying the provisions of the Public Procurement Act and the agreement with the JV. The notice said that if the construction company does not report to the office within 14 days, the process of breaking the contract will proceed and necessary steps will be taken.

The work of this road has not been completed for years, and the government has repeatedly extended the deadline.

The contractor of this road is Sharda Prasad Adhikari,  the land lord of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Even after years, the local residents are angry with the contractor, authorities and the government as the road work has not been completed.

On March 2 , Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Narayankaji Shrestha and Indian Ambassador Navin Srivastava conducted an on-site inspection of the road. In the process, they were surrounded by local residents.

Accordingly, a 14-day explanation has been sought. Even after 9 years of road work, the blacktop that was laid 4-5 years ago has also come off. The road, which was paved by the contractor, is now dusty. There are potholes here and there on the road.

The contract for this road was awarded in 2014. Since then, a soft loan agreement has been signed with Indian Exim Bank and construction is underway. Although the contract was signed for Rs 270 million, it has been increased to Rs 310 million through variation orders. According to the construction, the design of the road was changed and the final variation order came down to Rs 280 million.

Earlier, the company said that it would withdraw from the contract if it could not be completed within one month.

 
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