Laxmi Capital News
Development projects suffer from negligence of contractors

Negligenceof construction companies has affected several development projects across thecountry.

Constructionof Belahiya-Butwal six-loan road has not completed even though it has alreadybeen six years since the work commenced. Kalika-Tamang-Pacific JV had baggedthe contract to build two sections of the six-lane road - Danda-Bhairahawasection (700 meters) and Barmeli Tol-Anchalpur (1.4 km) in 2014. Theconstruction company has already extended project completion deadline fourtimes. But it is still unknown when the project will be completed.

Inthe initial years, the company said the delay in replacing electricity poleswas affecting the project. Later, they found excuses in Madhes unrest andIndian blockade, project engineers say. 

Theproject was to be completed in 2016. However, the company sought an extensionof 120 days in 2016. It later extended the completion deadline by 84 days. Thecompany managed to get the third extension of 182 days. In 2017, it managed toextend the project completion deadline by 110 days. The project has alreadymissed its fourth deadline.
Project officials are now planning to make the company pay fine for notcompleting the project on time. “This time we will extend the deadline,slapping certain fine as compensation,” Yogendra Adhikari, engineer of the roadproject, told Republica. 

GautamBuddha International Airport Project has also suffered from the negligence ofcontracting company. As per the agreement signed with the Civil AviationAuthority of Nepal, the contractor had to complete the project by December2017. But since it didn't happen, the completion deadline for the nationalpride project has been extended by six months until June.

Accordingto Om Sharma, project chief of Gautam Buddha International Airport Project,only 35 percent of work has been completed so far. 

Projectofficials say that the project is getting delayed due to the carelessness ofthe Chinese contractor -- Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction. 

TheChinese contractor had succeeded to extend the completion deadline, citingfactors like the 2015 earthquakes, Indian blockade and lack of constructionmaterials.  The project, however, is unlikely to meet the new deadline.
“The extended period is not sufficient to complete the work on time. Theproject will certainly seek another deadline extension,” Sharma said. 

Accordingto project officers, the contractor must achieve six percent progress everymonth to meet the deadline. But their current work progress stands at dismal0.5 percent per month. However, it has expedited work by hiring more skilledmanpower after receiving a threat from the government to terminate thecontract.

Lastyear, construction came to a halt for nearly six months due to differencesbetween the Chinese contractor and its Nepali associate company Northwest NepalInfra Pvt Ltd. “The project is making some progress after the problem betweenthe contractor and its associate was resolved. However, it is not sufficient,”Sharma told Republica. 
All the works of the runway, graveling, terminal building, administrationbuilding, control power and other works are at snail's pace. 

Likewise,an office building for District Administration Office, Palpa, still remainsincomplete even though it has already been four years since construction began.The construction work began in 2014, setting a target to complete it by 2016.The contractor has already extended construction deadline two times. Like otherprojects, the project has also suffered from the negligence of the contractor.

“Nearly90 percent of the work has been completed so far. However, the contractor hasapplied for another extension in the completion deadline,” said Bishnu PrashadDhakal, CDO of Palpa, said.     

Source: MyRepublica, 27thFebruary 2018

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