BHAJANI, JUNE 27
Although it is mandatory to put the information board regarding development projects above the cost of Rs 200,000 at project sites, majority of them have failed to do so in Tikapur Municipality of Kailali district.
Lax implementation of the provision is bound to raise eyebrows. It also raises innumerable questions regarding the authenticity of the project.
Take the construction of Nari Shilpa Building under the Sudurpaschim Physical Infrastructure Programme of Tikapur Municipality, for instance. The project is nearing completion, however, no information board has been set-up.
The board containing vital information aims to educate the public about the project as well as aids in maintaining fiscal transparency.
Lack of information board in the soon-to-becompleted Nari Shilpa Building has begun to draw flak from locals.
There are two projects running under the under-construction building.
Although the construction of the building has continued uninterrupted during the prohibitory order, the contractors did not bother to put up an information board, leaving the locals in the dark regarding the intention of contractors.
Nari Shilpakala Chairperson Krishna Bhandari admitted her ignorance about the notice board. She said, "We did not know that the information board should be put up at the sites since the beginning of the project.
Now that it has come to our knowledge, we will put up the information board in a day or two."
Likewise, Khaptad Cultural Family Building, under the Province Physical Infrastructure Development Programme, is also being constructed at a cost of Rs 1 million.
The project also lacks information board.
Chairperson of the organisation Bhaktaraj Devkota, who is responsible for construction of the building, said, "We are preparing to put a stone script upon completion of construction."
According to him, putting information board meant piling up unnecessary expenses that needed to be cut. "If there is any mandatory provision regarding placement of information board, we will consider putting up one after completion of the project."
These were small-scale projects. Contractors of mega project, Tikapur 1 Block No A, which is under-construction at a cost of over Rs 90 million, also failed to share information about the project.
According to Municipality engineer Nabin Ojha, the municipality allocates Rs 2,000 for the information board, while estimating the budget for any projects amounting to above Rs 200,000.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 28 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
