Seven years on, 3.5-km road section in Butwal still remains incomplete

LUMBINI: The 3.5-kilometer road section from Rajmarga Chowk to Gola Park in Butwal’s main market area has become an example of the state of development and construction work in the country.

Despite receiving multiple time extensions, the contractor has failed to complete the road which was supposed to be finished in 30 months. The prolonged delay prompted the Division Road Office (DRO), Butwal, to terminate the contract.

According to the DRO Butwal, the contract had to be terminated as the contractor was not doing its work diligently.

The Kanchanjangha/Biruwa JV was awarded a contract to build the 3.5-km road section of the Butwal-Belahiya Commercial Road Expansion Project within 30 months seven years ago. The DRO Butwal issued the contract termination notice on Sunday, according to Maheshwor Lamsal, the information officer and engineer with the office.

The contracts for the 3 km section from Rajmarga Chowk to Chidia Khola and the 750-meter section in Sunauti have been terminated.

“The contract agreement has been terminated as per Section 59 (7) and (8) of the Public Procurement Act, 2006, and Rule 128 of the Public Procurement Regulations, 2007,” a notice issued by DRO Butwal said. “The construction company will be recommended for blacklisting, and as per Section 59 (8) of the law, the performance guarantee, deposit amount, and any outstanding advance payment will be confiscated if not already done so.”

The Butwal-Belahiya Trade Road Project, which went into implementation in 2016, received repeated deadline extensions, but the contractor company failed to complete the work, said Bishun Das Lama, the chief of the Division Road Office, Butwal. He also said preparations were underway to blacklist the Kanchanjangha-Biruwa JV and Biruwa Construction Company Ltd. for not completing the work on time.

Despite receiving three deadline extensions, the company could achieve only 50% work progress over the past seven years. Only the main carriageway has been blacktopped so far. The side work still remains incomplete. Many businesses have been displaced due to the prolonged road construction. The DRO Butwal has been disbursed Rs 270 million for the 3.5-kilometer section and Rs 90 million for the Sunauti section to the contractor company.

The company was awarded the contract for the road section for Rs 472.7 million. It, however, has escalated to Rs 539.8 million.

According to Lamsal, the DRO Butwal, will soon initiate a tendering process to complete the remaining works.

Sub-metropolis forms task force

Following the termination of the contract, Butwal Sub-metropolitan City has formed a task force to amend the design of the road.

The task force is led by Mayor Khel Raj Pandey and has representations from Nepal Water Supply Corporation, Nepal Electricity Authority, and Nepal Telecom and the sub-metropolis.

The task force has decided to take needful initiatives to build three-meter footpaths and two-meter cycle lanes on both sides and parking spaces for light vehicles every 200 meters. Likewise, it decided to facilitate the Division Road Office to build public toilets at Traffic Chowk and Golpark and build overhead bridges at different locations.

Likewise, it also decided to request the utility agencies to manage electricity wires, telecommunication wires and water supply lines to facilitate road construction.