KATHMANDU: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Kulman Ghising has warned that construction contractors will be required to pay penalties if they delay road construction and maintenance works.
Addressing the 23rd anniversary ceremony of the Road Board Nepal on Tuesday, Minister Ghising said the government will no longer tolerate contractors who fail to complete projects within the stipulated timeframe. He added that contracts could be cancelled if delays persist.
“If work is not completed on time, provisions will be enforced to impose penalties, and if necessary, contracts will be cancelled,” Ghising said. “We have already cancelled contracts of some contractors who took bids at low costs but repeatedly delayed work. This is not the government’s desire but a compulsion.”
Ghising acknowledged that although the number of roads requiring repair across the country is high, limited budget resources have made it difficult to maintain all roads on time.
“Continuous demands for road maintenance are coming from the federal, provincial and local levels,” he said. “However, due to budget constraints, we have not been able to address all demands immediately.”
Speaking at the same event, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Keshav Kumar Sharma said road construction alone should not be seen as an indicator of development.
“Development does not mean just building roads,” Sharma said. “Development is complete only when roads are usable and vehicles can move smoothly. Timely maintenance of damaged roads is today’s biggest need.”
Road Board Nepal Executive Director Ganesh Bahadur KC said failure to carry out timely maintenance increases road repair costs by three to four times.
Similarly, Department of Roads Director General Dr Bijay Jaisi described roads as the backbone of development and stressed the need for adequate budget allocation to ensure timely maintenance.
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