KHOTANG, Nov 25: With just six months remaining for the upgradation of the Diktel-Khanidada-Ahale road, the blacktopping of the road has been sluggish.
The contract for the upgrading the road was signed with Yaktuhang Sap Siruwa JV on November 17, 2018. The 10.79-kilometer long road section is being built by the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) at an estimated cost of Rs 210 million (including VAT).
According to Ghanashyam Upadhyaya, head of NRA District Project Implementation Unit (Building), the project had seen no visible progress after mid-July. “Almost25 percent of upgradation was completed by mid-July. In the initial stage, the construction company had worked efficiently,” he said, adding that the upgradation work is delayed in the recent times.
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As per the agreement, the construction company should upgrade the road section by March 20, 2020. According to NRA, the construction company has failed to show any progress in the project after mid-July.
“The delay in the upgradation is a matter of concern for the authorities,” Upadhyaya said, adding that the upgradation work remains halted after mid-July.
On November 14, Shiva Prasad Chaulagain, head of the construction company, had said that the road section would see a significant progress by mid-November. But, the road project has seen sluggish progress since then, according to the NRA.
After the Chaulagai's commitment, only some construction material has been brought to the road upgradation site. Meanwhile, Kalyan Dahal, engineer of the construction company, claims that the upgradation work is ongoing, and the road section is being blacktopped. “There are about 30-40 laborers at the site. Construction materials such as aggregates have been brought to the site,” Dahal said, adding that the work will be expedited now.
Dahal also said that the upgradation will be completed within the deadline. The roadway is said to be the shortest route connecting Diktel to Gaighat.
