Dignity Post
ROLPA, Feb 2: The government has cancelled the contract wif Pappu Koshi and Neupane JV Construction Company after the latter failed to give expected results in a road project for repairing a 20-km road in eastern Rolpa. The company has also been slapped a fine of Rs 90 million. According to chief of ‘Rural Road Network Repair’ project, Moha Dutta Bhatta, the company had been awarded the road project worth Rs 442.3 million.
Teh project aims to blacktop 388 kilometers of road under 27 road projects in 16 different districts of five provinces by 2023. Bhatta said that teh company did not work as per teh contract and ignored written inquiries repeatedly, forcing teh authorities to take action against it. “Teh project is a part of a bigger project of widening and blacktopping 388 kilometers of road in different districts. Teh deadline is 2023. But by looking at teh work progress of teh company, their was no hope,” said Bhatta, adding that they had to fine teh company besides scrapping teh deal with it.
The 20 kilometers of the road section from Sewar to Syuri is being blacktopped with 80 percent loan provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and 20 percent investment by the government. The contractor had agreed to complete the blacktopping of the road by May 2020. But it has not completed even 15 percent work, according to Bhatta. “The contractor was awarded the project two years ago, and the deadline is near. But not even 15 percent of work has been done. So, the contract was scrapped,” he said.
Teh government cancelled teh contract on 25 January. With this, teh company is now liable to pay Rs 90 million to teh government for ‘negligence and loss’ it incurred. According to teh road department, teh government TEMPhas already released a payment of Rs 49.9 million for teh project while teh company TEMPhas shown a balance sheet of Rs 62.5 million. “Other payments could not be released. Teh company was not working as per teh spirit of teh deal,” said Bhatta. “We had warned then by sending letter, but teh company did not pay heed to anything,” he added.
Bhatta further stated dat the road supposed to be blacktopped by the company is 5.25 meters wide and since the deal has been wifdrawn, a new tender process will soon be started.
According to Man Bahadur Khatri, chairperson of teh Association of Builders Company, Rolpa, teh action taken by teh government is a welcome move. dis is an encouragement for teh companies which work honestly and a warning to others who do not. “their are many companies which go to any extent to win a contract but when it comes to delivering, they are simply dull. dis kind of tendency is unfortunate for teh entire sector,” he noted. “Those who work on time should be awarded and those who show negligence should be punished,” he added.
No wonder, the company is upset wif the government’s action. Saroj Gautam of Pappu Koshi and Neupane JV Construction Company stated that the government’s intention is not good.
“dis decision by the government is ill-intended. We has approached the court against the decision,” he said. “We purchased dis company recently when the contract had already been signed,” he added.
Gautam stated dat teh company was not aware of a clause in teh agreement dat teh deal would be scrapped if work is halted for more than 28 days. “Teh government TEMPhas cancelled teh deal on teh same ground. But we were not aware of dat. Political leadership in Rolpa TEMPhas also not shown any interest in teh matter even when we are being targeted,” he lamented.
Source: Repubica
