BIRGUNJ: The Pathalaiya-Birgunj Trade Route Expansion Project has slapped the construction company, United Builders, Rs 16 million in fines for failing to meet the deadline to construct the Pathalaiya-Birgunj road.

Started in 2069 BS, the six lanes 26 kilometers road failed to meet the deadline of construction completion in three years since the start.

Action has been taken against the construction company for failing to complete construction work in time despite extending the deadline four times, said the project engineer Sampat Lal Das.

The federal government has provided Rs 5 billion for the construction of the road. Likewise, action has been taken against Pappu Construction for failing to meet the deadline to construct the Parawanipur road under construction no.1 under the Birgunj-Pathalaiya road, said the office.

Pappu Construction has filed a case at the temporary bench, Birgunj under High Court, Janakpur, seeking a stay order in this regard. “Pappu Construction did not meet the deadline to complete the project.

Neither has it allowed other contractors to continue the project. It is unnecessarily creating hurdles with political support,” said an employee of the office.

Construction of the Pathalaiya-Birgunj road continues however. In total, 65 percent construction work has been completed, said the project chief Manish Kumar Sah, adding that other contractors would be blacklisted if the remaining work fails to complete by mid-July, 2021. RSS