KATHMANDU, Sept 11: An investigation carried out by a parliamentary committee has found some officials of the Nepal Army (NA) guilty of not following the due process of the Public Procurement Act while awarding the contract for the Kathmandu-Terai fast track.
Speaking at a meeting of the Parliamentary Development and Technology Committee on Sunday, the lawmakers said the NA did not follow the due process while awarding the contract for the road project which is also a project of national pride.
PAC to probe phase 2 contract-awarding procedures of KTM-Tarai...
Kalyani Kumari Khadka, chairperson of the parliamentary committee, said an investigation carried out by a parliamentary committee has found flaws in the contract awarding process of the express highway. According to her, the parliamentary committee has directed the authority concerned to take action against the project chief and other officials involved in the process.
Last year, Nepal Army signed two separate contracts with China State Construction Engineering Corp Ltd and Poly Changda Engineering Co Ltd for the construction of three tunnels, a few bridges, and a partial road under the Fast Track project. On June 3, the Chinese companies, however, were suspended from construction of the project of national pride and strategic importance, after the companies failed to expedite the construction work.
Later on, Nepal Army, with the recommendation from Korean Consultant, agreed to allow two Chinese companies to resume work. The 72.5 km four-lane expressway is expected to be completed by 2024.
Two years ago, the NA picked these Chinese contractors to carry out the work of the second phase construction of the expressway. But the Parliamentary Accounts Committee had even written to the Ministry of Defense three times, urging it to stop the process citing flaws in the process of awarding the construction work, but to no avail. Following the apathy of the NA, the parliamentary committee had even written to the NA directly to halt the process.
