CHITWAN: Despite the extended deadline of February 20, only 66.67 per cent of the road construction work, along the Narayangadh-Muglin road section, has been completed till date.

According to Project Engineer Shiv Khanal, the deadline could get extended for 40-45 days as the work was halted during monsoon, and the provincial and parliamentary elections.

The road expansion work was supposed to complete by April in 2015. The deadline was, however, extended for the third time citing various protests, unofficial blockade imposed by India in Nepal, and Melamchi water supply project among others.

“If the deadline gets extended for the fourth time, the first and second section of the work will be completed by the end of mid-April this year. The thirds section might take longer as around 800-metre-retaining-wall is yet to be built,” added Khanal.

As per the contract, the work duration was divided into three sections with eight months time each. The first section was to be completed by 15 per cent, second by 50 per cent and remaining 100 per cent by the end of 24 months.

Meanwhile, the contract also had a clause of collecting penalties from the contractors if they failed to complete the work in the stipulated time – 0.0075 per cent for first eight months, 0.025 per cent for the second and 0.05 per cent for the third.

So far the government has collected Rs 7.5 million from the contractors— Rs 6.7 millions from Supreme Rautaha JV and Rs 0.8 million from BL Shrestha JV.