Dolakha, November 16

Locals of Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha, have launched a crusade against a contractor by pasting his photos on public vehicles and public places, accusing him of leaving road construction work incomplete.

Locals pasted photos of the contractor on vehicles en route to Kathmandu from Charikot. Locals protested saying the contractor had abandoned construction of 25-kilometre Mude Charikot road section serving as gateway to Dolakha.

Locals said they were forced to launch the protest campaign as their repeated pleas to the contractor to blacktop the road had fallen on deaf ears. Journalist and civil society leader Shyam Prasad Khatiwada said they had launched the campaign as it had been effective in Bhaktapur.

Locals of Dolakha are having a hard time traveling due to potholes and cracks at Mude-Charikot road section. Due to sorry state of the road, it takes 10 hours to cross the road stretch that, when in good condition takes only four hours.

The contract to construct Mude-Charikot road section was assigned to contractors Sakil Haidar Shankarmali Sunaulo Khimti JV.

Photos of the JV Manager Dipak Sapkota were pasted on vehicles and public places. The photos read, “Do you know me? I am the contractor who does not work. When will the road be blacktopped?” Banners with the contractor’s photos were pasted at different public places and also on buses heading to Kathmandu.