The contract period is 60 percent complete, with only 11 percent progress. The project issued a final notice on Tuesday, giving 15 days to terminate the contract.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
One of the two contracts for the nationally-famous Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project has been terminated. The Department of Water Resources and Irrigation has stated that the contract was terminated after the project did not progress despite repeated requests. The project issued a final notice on Tuesday, giving 15 days to inform about the termination of the contract.
The department has stated that there has been no progress in the contract for the supply and installation of civil structures, gates, hydro-mechanical equipment, and other components of the project, including the dam, power house. The contract for this project has been awarded to Patel-Raman JV. Patel is an Indian construction company. Although 60 percent of the contract period has expired, only 11 percent progress has been made.
The contract was terminated after the construction contractor showed no willingness to increase progress and showed no interest in improving the work as per the provisions of the contract, said Mitra Baral, Director General of the department. ‘We have completed the tunnel work and tested it,’ he said, ‘but there has been no progress in the dam construction contract, the contract was terminated after giving him 15 days to clarify some things, he will get it within that time.’
Baral informed that the contract will be terminated and the procurement process for a new contract will be initiated. ‘There was no delay in the construction of the project,’ he said, ‘After terminating the contract, we will study and analyze the current contract and proceed with the process for a new procurement call as per the rules.’
The project has stated that along with the process of canceling the contract agreement, the process of forfeiting the bank guarantee of Rs 3.6 billion, including Rs 2.4 billion deposited by Patel-Raman JV as performance security and Rs 1.2 billion as advance payment, has also been taken forward. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Urban Development Kulman Ghising had discussed with the secretary of the ministry, the director general of the Irrigation Department, the project chief, the consultant and the construction entrepreneur on 7 Ashojan after observing an unnatural delay in the construction of the project.
According to Ashok Gautam, Senior Divisional Engineer of the project, the notice of terminating the contract was published after completing all the processes. ‘The notice was not issued to terminate the contract,’ he said, ‘the notice was issued to inform that the contract has been terminated.’ The project says that after a long time since the contract was awarded to the construction company, only the construction of the camp, labor camp and power house have been completed.
Patel-Raman JV had won the contract in 2079 Magh for Rs 14.759 billion to complete the dam construction work on the Sunkoshi River in 4 years and 7 months. The project stated that there was no visible work except for the coffer dam and some slopes. The foundation for the gate was laid 12 meters below the surface of the Sunkoshi. Technicians have stated that after reaching the surface of the Sunkoshi, the water will be taken to a height of 18 meters and poured into the tunnel.
After the construction of the dam, which is about 30 meters high and 158 meters long, in the Sunkoshi, it will be discharged into the Marin River at Kamalamai-2, Kusumtar through a 13.3-kilometer-long tunnel. There, 31.07 megawatts of electricity will be generated by pumping water from a 66.29-meter heated well. The main objective of the project is to provide irrigation facilities to 122,000 hectares of Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari and Dhanusha along with electricity generation. So far, 16 billion has been spent on the project, which costs 49 billion. The completion date of the project is 2084.
The department has also started the process of terminating contracts under various projects where work has not progressed. Director General of the department, Baral, informed that 12 contract notices related to river control in Mahottari have been issued and terminated. Similarly, he said that 6 package contracts under the Babai Irrigation Project have also been terminated by issuing 15 days' notice.
