Administrative building completed at a cost of Rs 23 million in Aiselukharka

KHOTANG: Aiselukharka Rural Municipality on Khotang has officially begun service delivery from its newly completed administrative building, ending its reliance on rented premises since its establishment.

The new building was inaugurated by Rural Municipality Chairperson Girendra Bahadur Rai. Previously, the office operated from a rented local house at an annual cost of Rs 468,000 including taxes.

With the completion of the two-story, 14-room structure, the rural municipality expects more efficient service delivery and a reduction in operational expenses. The administrative building, which includes a galvanized sheet roof with an iron truss, was completed after more than five years since construction began.

Chairperson Rai acknowledged the challenges faced during the building’s construction. “We encountered several issues, including contractor negligence and a necessary revision of the initial estimate. Although delayed, operating from our own building has freed us from financial burden and will enhance public service delivery,” he said.

The project, a joint investment of the provincial government and the rural municipality, was initially estimated at Rs 36.985 million. A contract was awarded to Rujan-Jagadamba-Bhuvaneshwori and Baibhav JV at a reduced amount of Rs 26.843 million, inclusive of VAT.

However, the rural municipality later canceled the agreement after discovering irregularities in the contractor’s first-phase payment claims, including submission of a fake progress report.

The construction came to a halt after the contractor poured the first-floor slab using RCC technology without meeting quality standards.

A report by the Lalitpur-based Quality Research and Development Center confirmed that the construction did not comply with contractual specifications.

Spokesperson and Ward No. 3 Chairperson Tekendra Rajbhandari confirmed that the contract was terminated after multiple quality concerns were raised. Despite the setbacks, the building was ultimately completed and has now begun serving the local population.