Dolakha, June 18

Construction of the Khadichaur-Mude and Mude-Charikot road sections under the Khadichaur-Jiri road extension project has been expedited after the Division Road Office, Dolakha, fined contractors for failing to finish work on time.

The road office fined contractors of the Khadichaur-Mude road section Rs 65 million, while contractors of the Mude-Charikot road section are paying Rs 2.5 lakh per day in fine.

A consortium of Indian company Simanchal and Nepali companies Gauri Parbati and Sunaula Khimti was entrusted with construction of the 25-km Khadichaur-Mude road stretch in the first package.

Likewise, a consortium of Sakil Haidar, Shankar Mali and Sunaula Khimti was awarded contract for the 30-km Mude-Charikot stretch in the second package.

“As per the contract, work on the first package and second package should have been finished by May 11 and April 15 respectively,” said the road office Chief Dhamendra Jha.

“The road construction should have finished in two years time after work began, but four years have passed and the projects are yet to be completed, hence the fine,” Jha explained.

So far 75 per cent and 60 per cent work on the first and second packages have been completed respectively.