Biratnagar, July 3

Biratnagar Metropolitan City has been entrusting scores of development projects to contractors though only ten days are left before the fiscal ends.

The metropolis signed as many as 65 development projects in two weeks from 15 June to 29 June, according to Information Officer Nandi Keshar Bhandari. The projects also comprise some provincial government plans.

Though the metropolis stopped contracting any projects with the consumers’ committee the past week, it has intensified signing of agreements with contractors. “Contracts were signed for implementing development projects of both the provincial government and metropolis,” said Bhandari.

According to officials at the metropolis, at least 5/7 projects are being signed per day these days. The projects of the province government ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 7,00,000 have been signed on the condition that they be complete before July 9.

“While the local levels are headed by civil servants, there is a trend of signing development projects at the last hour of the fiscal to finish the budget, the same trend seems to be dominant even though the local representatives have been given responsibilities,” argued Rajesh Maske, coordinator of the joint municipal coordination committee, Biratnagar.

Biratnagar Metropolitan City Chief Administrative Officer Kumar Prasad Dahal said that such late hour agreement would not yield any positive and sustainable result. “If the contracts were signed at least two three months before, that would be much fruitful instead of signing the projects at the last hour,” said Dahal.

He further said that the contracts were signed in haste fearing the budget issued by province government would freeze.

The finance ministry of the province government had provided the metropolis with Rs 6.6 million conditional budget to implement various projects. Dahal said different ministries including Physical Infrastructure were demanding Rs 10 million for various developmental projects at the last hour.