KATHMANDU: Prime Minister (PM) KP Oli has assured that the delay in the construction of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section of the Mahendra Highway will be resolved soon.
During discussions at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar with relevant ministers, officials from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and concerned lawmakers, Prime Minister Oli emphasized that if work does not commence by mid-December, the government will have no choice but to terminate the contract with the Chinese company responsible for the project.
He stressed that if the company proves reliable, it would be preferable to continue with the contractor.
However, he also warned against allowing the project to be stalled indefinitely, as it has been delayed for nearly 28 years.
“The level of expectation we had when we launched this project has not been met,” said Prime Minister Oli.
“The residents of the area have had to endure dust and disruption for far too long, and local economic activities have been severely affected. We have now reached a point where we must take decisive action.”
Bhagawati Yadav Rudal, District Coordination Chief of Nawalparasi (Susta East), submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister during the meeting.
A contract with China State Construction Engineering Corporation was signed on March 22, 2019 to complete the road section by August 2022.
So far, 44 percent of the payment has been made, and 52 percent of the construction work has been completed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, Minister for Land Management and Cooperatives Balram Adhikari, and Ministry Secretary Keshav Sharma were also present at the meeting.
Minister Dahal informed the construction company that despite repeated requests, work has not yet started. The company has assured that work will begin by the end of mid-December.
During the meeting, Khelraj Pandey, head of the Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, also raised concerns regarding the squatter problem in the region, urging the Prime Minister to address the issue promptly.
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