(Paschimpress English) - Biratnagar Metropolitan City (BMC) mayor Nagesh Koirala directed the contractor to accelerate postal road construction in Biratnagar-5. Mayor Koirala called the representatives of contractors at the metropolis office and issued the directive to pace up construction works. Koirala asked the contractor to keep the local people's woes in the lack of quality roads and expedite construction. Koirala also discussed with the contractor's representatives the challenges that surfaced in constructing a 3.195-km postal road from Biratnagar-5, Ganeshchowk to the Keshaliya Bridge. The Bhumi Construction was awarded a contract to complete the construction by coming 1 August 2023. But, the construction responsibility was handed over to Dev and Sagar Construction after Bhumi Construction went out of communications after leaving the ongoing construction in the lurch, shared Engineer at Postal Highway Plan Office, Itahari, Dipendra Chaudhary.

The people around Jamungachi Chowk in 4 and 5 have been protesting for a year. The Jamungachi section under the Hulaki highway is in a state of disrepair due to a lack of work. After the contractor company ran away, the locals are protesting demanding the construction of the road. After the road was not built, the locals started a campaign to ban the leader from the elections last November.

It has been a year since the construction of the Budhikhola bridge on the 6-lane road connecting Morang-Sunsari on the Koshi highway has been stalled. By extending the contract period up to two times, the period to complete the construction of the bridge has been extended to June 2080. The work has reached its final stage but the contractor is not in touch.

The foundation rod laid for the construction of the state-of-the-art building of Koshi Hospital in Biratnagar has rusted. A year has passed since the work was stopped after laying the foundation, but the work has not been completed. Although the hospital administration is asking, the contractor is out of touch.

The contractor company associated with these three projects is Bhumi Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. Since the company has been out of contact for a year, the work on that project has been stopped. Apart from that, other development works contracted by Bhoomi are also stalled.

According to Engineer Pramod Khatiwada, Information Officer of Hulaki Road Project Office, Itahari, Bhoomi Infrastructure has entered into a contract with other contractor companies in 2 sections of the project under the office.

Bhoomi got the contract for the construction of four kilometers from Jamungachi to West Keslia river and 22 kilometers from Inaruwa to Kaptanganj in the Sunsari section of the Hulaki highway in a joint venture. The work of both these sections has been stopped now.

Dev & Sayer/Bhumi JV got the contract for road construction of the Jamungachi section in June 2078. Its term is ending on 1 July 2080. It is unlikely that the work of this section worth Rs. 188 million will be completed in the remaining period.

The work of the link road from Inaruwa to Kaptanganj was jointly awarded by Gauri Parvati/Dev and Sayer/Bhumi. The work of this road section worth Rs 57 crore 31 lakhs should be completed by July 2081.

Bhumi Infrastructure as a local partner was responsible for overseeing both projects. Engineer Khatiwada said that Dev & Sayer in Jamungachi and Gauri Parvati in the Inaruwa-Kaptanganj section were prepared to start work after the Bhumika operator lost contact.

When the contractor, who was working repeatedly, did not come in contact with the land, the office ordered another company, which had taken a joint contract, to start the work. Khatiwada said, "The work did not progress for the first few months after repeated requests, and other partners came to work after the ground did not come into contact."