Contractor's 'neglect' halts health post-construction

Due to the negligence of the contractor, five health post buildings under construction in Khotang are still incomplete. The construction of health post buildings has not been completed in Diktel, Rupakot, Majuwagadhi Municipality-7, Dorpachiuridanda, Halesi, Tuvachung Municipality-1, Bahunidanda, Sohi Municipality-6, Mangaltar, Diprung Chuichumma Municipality-4, Batase and Aiselukharka Municipality-1, Rakhabangdel.

Construction work of the health post building, which was started through the District Project Implementation Unit (Building) Okhaldhunga, has been halted since last July. Engineer Binod Kumar Mandal of the Intensive Urban Development and Building Construction Project Okhaldhunga said that the work of the health post-Dorpachiuridanda, Mangaltar, Batase, and Rakhabangdel health post buildings has been completed so far but the work of Bahunidanda health post has not started yet.

The Board of Engineers informed that continuous work has been carried out in the four health post buildings under construction till mid-July last year. “Contractors have already plastered some buildings. The payment was made accordingly, "he said." Since then, the construction work has stopped. We have also written to start work immediately, but no hearing has been held so far. ”

According to the District Project Implementation Unit Office, the construction work is still incomplete as the main contractor has left the work to the second contractor and the second to the third contractor. It is not possible to complete the construction work on time as all the five health post buildings have been constructed by the contractor. The hoteliers and workers of Dorpachiuridanda have not received the payment from the contractor even though they have been constructing the building. According to the Board of Engineers, the representatives of the construction company have not paid for the food at the hotel and the workers have not been paid yet.

Gauri Parvati-New Technical JV Lalitpur had undertaken the construction of the building at a cost of Rs. 74.08 million including VAT. The construction company has signed a contract on November 26, 2020 to complete the work of the building by March 22, 2022.

The responsibility for the construction of the health post building, which was started through the National Reconstruction Authority District Project Implementation Unit (Building) Okhaldhunga under the National Reconstruction Authority Central Project, has now shifted to Okhaldhunga Intensive Urban Development and Building Construction Project. There is confusion about the health post building under construction after the responsibility of the building under the Reconstruction Authority was shifted to the intensive urban development and building construction project on December 27.

Meanwhile, the legal way has been opened to break the contract with the contractor who left the construction work of the administrative building of Aiselukharka village municipality incomplete and to seize the performance bail (bail). A joint bench of Patan High Court Judges Madhav Prasad Pokhrel and Jagdish Ghimire issued the extradition order, paving the way for the implementation of the decision of terminating the contract with the construction company and forfeiting the working bail.

Rujan-Jagdamba-Bhubaneswari & Vaibhav JV New Baneshwor Kathmandu has acted against the Public Procurement Act. The order was issued. According to village head Bishwanath Niraula, the recent reversal order of the high court has revoked the short-term interim order and paved the way for the implementation of the decision to seize the deposit by breaking the contract with the construction company.

The extradition order states that the interim order issued on 27 December by a bench of judges could not be continued as the matter mentioned in the petition would be addressed only after the written reply from the respondents. After it was revealed that the construction businessmen had delayed the construction work, made substandard work and made fake lab report with the ground floor pillar of the building. It was recommended to be blacklisted.