An explanation has been sought from three construction companies for not completing the Gadgadighat Bridge on the Gaindakot-Dendhagaun Rampur road despite repeated extensions of the deadline for 10 years.
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Action has been taken to blacklist three contractor companies that have not completed the construction of a concrete bridge over the Kaligandaki River in the northern hilly region of eastern Nawalparasi and on the border of Tanahun for 10 years.
The bridge is under construction at Gadgadighat in Kokhe on the Kaligandaki road connecting Dendhagaun Rampur via Gaindakot. Despite the contractor company having extended the deadline six times in the 10 years since it started work, the progress of the bridge has reached only 60 percent. Engineer Bidur Subedi of the Bridge Sector Office, Pokhara, who is responsible for overseeing this bridge, informed that the deadline extended for the sixth time has also expired. 'We are getting frustrated with the extension of the deadline. The contractor is not working,' he said.
He said that the process has been taken to blacklist Lumbini, Swachhand and Nagarjuna construction companies involved in the construction.
The construction of this bridge on the Gandaki (Narayani) River, located between Bulingtar in the northern hills of eastern Nawalparasi and Rising Rural Municipality of Tanahun, was agreed on 29 Ashad 2073. Lumbini, Swachhand and Nagarjuna Construction Companies were awarded the contract to work jointly at a cost of Rs 268.286 crore.
Engineer Subedi said that the construction companies have already paid more than Rs 130 million before the work is completed. ‘So far, 60 percent physical progress and 51 percent financial progress have been made. Rs 130 million have been paid.’ Subedi said that despite several letters, they are not working,’ Subedi said. Despite repeated extensions of the deadline, Subedi said that the construction company has not worked on various excuses.
Only 4 pillars of the bridge have been erected in the 10 years since the work began. The bridge, which is 290 meters long and 10.5 meters wide, is designed to have 5 spans. Contractors are lobbying for at least another year to complete the construction of this bridge. ‘We are fed up with the repeated extensions of the deadline, now we will not extend the deadline, but blacklist them for not working,’ said Engineer Subedi.
Local Surya Kandel said that the contractor works only for two months in a year and does not appear at the bridge construction site at other times. This bridge is under construction on the road leading to Tanahun and Pokhara via Kawasoti and Daldale on the Mahendra Highway. At the bridge construction site, this river is called the Gandaki River. The same river is known as the Narayani River after it comes down towards Narayangadh.
Letter to blacklist 3 contractor companies
Engineer Subedi informed that the contractor was asked for an explanation a week ago to blacklist them because three companies jointly took over the work but did not complete it. He informed that the work has not been completed despite repeated written requests and an explanation has been asked to proceed with the action. 'It has been a week since the contractor was asked for an explanation as to why the work was not completed, and now the blacklisting process will proceed,' said Engineer Subedi.
