Martadi–Kolti Road Blacktopping Work Stalled; Contractor’s Negligence Leads to Annual Budget Refunds of Millions

The blacktopping work on the Martadi–Kolti road segment has been left unfinished because the contractor, PS Baniya Construction Services, failed to complete the job on time. The Infrastructure Development Office in Achham has reported that this has left the project in limbo. Due to the failure to complete the work within the allocated NPR 150 million budget in the previous fiscal year, NPR 135 million had to be returned. For the current fiscal year, although NPR 200 million has been budgeted, work has yet to commence, said the office chief, Jangbahadur Thapa.

The Martadi–Kolti road spans 41 kilometers and has undergone tendering in three packages amounting to NPR 1.57 billion. However, even after 26 years, the construction remains incomplete. On 10th Baisakh in Bajura, it was reported that the blacktopping work between Dhamkane and Kolti on this road segment is currently stalled. Thapa emphasized that the construction company failed to meet deadlines.

The Infrastructure Development Office has indicated that PS Baniya Construction Services did not complete the work on schedule, which has resulted in annual budget refunds. Last fiscal year, as the project could not be completed despite a NPR 150 million allocation, NPR 135 million had to be returned. This fiscal year, even though NPR 200 million has been allocated, the contractor has yet to commence operations, clarified office chief Thapa.

PS Baniya Construction Services is registered under the name of Indra Bahadur Baniya, a leader of the Nepali Congress. He is a member of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly and the president of Nepali Congress Bagmati Province. Saroj Rai, the representative and engineer of PS Baniya Construction Services, acknowledged that various factors delayed the work, noted that machinery had been withdrawn from the site, and assured that work would resume within a few days.