INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
FIKKAL, DECEMBER 19Three decades have gone by since the construction of the
Phalgunanda Marga (road) was started
Billions have been invested for this road project linking Damak of Jhapa district with Chisopani Panchami of Panchthar district
The road passes through Mangesubung of Ilam.
Narayangadh-Muglin road to be closed for four hours daily
Even after five days since the disaster, earthquake survivors are not receiving tarps
However, the huge investment in the road project has gone
to waste and the locals are facing inconvenience as transport is not easy
The construction of the road has not completed even after 30 years.The track of the road has been opened along the bank of Ratuwa river and
vehicles are operating on this dirt road
Vehicles are operated from Damak to Gharti Dobhan on this track, but the vehicular movement comes to a halt even after moderate rainfall.
Road construction has not picked up momentum due to the negligence of the construction company, it is said
Five years have elapsed since the contract was awarded to the construction company for graveling and black-topping the 33 kilometres section
of the Phalgunanda Marga.Works on black-topping the road have not been started till date even after frequent extension of the contract term
The road widening and blacktopping works should have been carried out simultaneously, but it has not been done
The contract term was initially for three years and the road widening and blacktopping works were planned to be carried out dividing the
road in three sections.The contract for blacktopping seven kilometres road from the starting point at Damak Under the first section was
awarded to Mahalaxmi- Kirateshwar JV five years ago
As per the contract, the blacktopping works had to be carried out within 30 months
The contract was worth Rs 225 million and 964 thousand
The contract term was extended four times and the term of the latest extension was terminated in last mid-July, the Road Division Office,
Damak said.The contract for blacktopping the 15-kilometre-long second section and the 11-kilometre-long third section of the highway was
awarded to Lumbini-Ganapati JV
The contract for the second section road construction was worth Rs 544 million 487 thousand and that for the third section was worth Rs 591
million 535 thousand.Road Division Office Engineer Gautam Kumar Dev said that around 62 percent of work has been completed on the second
section and 28 percent in the third section
According to him, only 50 percent works have been carried out on the total 33 kilometres long highway.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com
