The DoR awarded the contract for building a bridge over the Mai River in Bajradevi, which divides Ilam municipality from Namsaling village, by using reports of the detailed survey and soil test meant for another bridge in Archale of Ilam district. Archale lies between Mahabir and Soyang Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Ilam. [break]
Villagers of Mahabir and Soyang had started an inquiry after the DoR awarded the contract for which no detailed survey and soil test have been conducted. “Our inquiry revealed that the DoR awarded the contract for a bridge in Bajradevi by using the reports of survey conducted in Archale," said Bhupendra Bhattarai, a local.
Kalika-Yakthunghang Construction Company has won the Rs 37.9 million worth contract. A survey of soil in Bajradevi has just begun after the DoR awarded the contract. The company has already received Rs 3.8 millions as advance money.
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) had allocated budget for construction of the bridge this fiscal year. “The budget should have been allocated for a bridge in Archale, instead of Bajradevi, as the DoR had already conducted all necessary surveys there,” says Mani Bahadur Tamang, a resident of Soyang village.
Villagers of Soyang say the local leaders of CPN (UML) have used their political clout to divert the fund meant for building bridge in Archale to Bajradevi when their party chairman Jhalanath Khanal was the prime minister. They have demanded that a bridge be built in their village.
However, Gyanendra Jha, chief of Road Division Office of Ilam said, "We awarded the contract after the National Planning Commission (NPC) cleared the plan for a bridge in Bajradevi."
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