Campus building not handed over even after 16 years

Delays in building construction due to leaders, local officials, contractors, and the Indian Embassy

Poush 27, 2082

Kashiram Dangi

Campus building not handed over even after 16 years

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It has been 16 years since the construction of the first campus building in Rolpa, but the contractor has not yet handed it over. The building of the Jaljala Multiple Campus, the oldest campus in the district, built with the assistance of the Indian Embassy, ​​has already collapsed before it was handed over.

The contractor has not even completed the work due to the District Coordination Committee Rolpa's failure to play a coordinating role. Nor has the Indian Embassy made the remaining payment.

The construction of the campus building in Libang, the district headquarters, has been stopped midway. The contractor has objected to the campus being run in the building without handing it over. 

In 2066 BS, the Indian Embassy had signed an agreement with the then District Development Committee Rolpa to build the campus building. After the budget was allocated by the Indian Embassy, ​​the construction work of the building was also started that year. But the contractor company delayed the construction work citing various reasons. 

Not only has the construction been delayed, but the handover of the building has also been delayed. Even before the handover, some of the campus structures had collapsed again and reached a state of neglect, so the campus was started from the same building. Due to the lack of interest from the District Coordination Committee and the weakening of the political leadership, the campus building became neglected. In the meantime, even the pressure from the civil community was not meaningful. 

The campus administration has stated that the main contractor of the building, Dragon/Builders JV Company Kathadaun, Uttam Basnet, has not been in regular contact. Campus Chief Shyam Budhamagar said that he has also been called and drawn to his attention repeatedly. 

Two more contractors, Tara Prasad Pun of Rukum and Hari Bahadur Pun of Rolpa, who will take on the work in the box from the main contractor, have also been asked, said Campus Chief Budha. The construction work of the building is more than 90 percent complete. According to him, the contractor has not shown interest even though he moved here with the belief that the campus will be looked after from there. 

Hari Prasad Pun, a contractor from Rolpa (the box contractor), took over the construction from Tara Prasad Pun, the contractor from Rukum who took over the construction from the main contractor. As the main contractor Basnet is stepping down because the box contractor has taken over the responsibility and the other two contractors are backing out because they have not received money, Campus Chief Budha said that it is difficult to complete the construction and hand over the building.

The contractor from Rukum, Tara Prasad, who is responsible for the construction of the building, is active in Maoist party politics, while Rolpa Congress vice-president Hari Prasad has currently been elected as the chairman of Gangadev Rural Municipality in Rolpa from the Congress. He complained that the District Coordination Committee and the Indian Embassy were not interested in receiving millions of rupees.

The construction of the building was started with an investment of about 39 million rupees from the Indian Embassy. The Rolpa District Coordination Committee had a provision to provide technical assistance in the construction of the building. The first contract agreement period was within Bhadra 2069. However, since the contractor failed to complete the work within the specified period, the deputy head of the District Coordination Committee, Rolpa, has been extending the deadline since then, said Karmalal Pariyar, who has been extending the deadline since then.

He admits that it is a matter of shame that the building could not be constructed and handed over on time. Coordination chief Sita Acharya also said that she has had to hear complaints about not being able to hand over the building soon. According to the agreement, the contractor was responsible for painting the two-and-a-half-storey, 24-room modern campus building, fencing the compound, purchasing furniture, computers, building a library, and constructing a blacktop road from the main road to the campus. Some of these works are yet to be completed. 

Suman Bishwakarma, president of the Independent Students' Union, said that they have been trying hard to complete the remaining works and get them handed over. He said that if the contractor pays attention, the work will be done soon. According to campus chief Budha, initiatives have been taken to hand over the campus building safely. The contractor is yet to receive an amount of about Rs. 45 lakh.

Kashiram

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