KATHMANDU: In what can be seen as utter negligence, the incident of three people being killed when a loader overturned on the Kathmandu-Terai (Madhesh) Fast Track in the last week of April has revealed many hidden secrets.
This has raised a serious question on the issue of work permits and insurance for Chinese workers.
It may be noted that Chinese workers died in the incident near Jitpur Bhanjyang in East Bakaya Rural Municipality-11 of Makwanpur district in the incident.
A large number of Chinese nationals have been employed in the project by dividing the work into two sections by two Chinese companies.
It has not been disclosed yet how many Chinese nationals have obtained a work permit in Nepal to work on the project.
Moreover, the Nepal Army, the contractor of the national pride project, has not revealed how many foreign technicians have been given labor permits.
On the one hand, a large number of engineers are losing their jobs at home, workers are being forced to go abroad without getting jobs, and on the other hand, a large number of Chinese citizens are being employed in projects of national pride in Nepal.
The Chinese company has been bringing its citizens to work, due to which Nepal’s youths have been deprived of employment.
The deaths of three Chinese workers in the line of duty have revealed that a large number of them are employed in the project while only a few Nepali technicians are employed in the project.
On the other hand, the issue of insurance has come up after the death of a worker in an accident.
As per the information received from the contractor regarding fast track insurance, Package 1 and Package 2 have not been insured yet.
The main reason for this is that the Chinese contractor has been insisting for nine months that the insurance should be in China under its reinsurance company. That is why insurance is being delayed.
The Nepal Army has written a letter to the government-owned Rastriya Beema Company Limited giving all the responsibility of insurance.
However, the Chinese contractor has been pressuring the national insurance company to work with its Chinese repayment insurance.
The Rastriya Beema Company Limited has not complied with this condition.
Fast Track is a project being undertaken by the Nepal Army.
It should also be noted that the Chinese contractors have been earning a hefty amount of money by extending the time of some major projects.
The same policy implies the fast track as well.
Meanwhile, a Nepali was also injured during the construction of the fast track. It is not yet clear who is obliged to pay the compensation.
According to reliable sources, the Chinese contractor is trying to get insurance from the private sector Nepal Insurance, Sanima Insurance, and Premier Insurance rather than from the Rastriya Beema Samiti.
The contract was awarded in defiance of a letter from the Parliamentary Accounts Committee to the Ministry of Defense to cancel the contract.
The work of the companies contracted for the proposed 72.6 km Kathmandu-Terai-Madhesh Expressway has not been able to pick up speed.
This has raised fears that the work will be completed on time. The companies’ consultants are getting into disputes, not being able to deliver the goods on time, and insurance and reinsurance problems are causing problems in the fast track work.
The Council of Ministers had given the responsibility of fast track construction to the Nepal Army in April 2017.
This national pride project has a completion target set for 2024.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 175 billion. This 76.2 km road is the shortest road to link Kathmandu Valley with Terai-Madhesh.
Also Read:
Fast Track: PAC smells rat while awarding contract to Chinese company
Parliamentary committee directs line ministries to complete ‘fast track ‘ on time
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