MANANG, MARCH 4
Upgradation and blacktopping of the Besishahar-Chame Road that connects with mountainous district Manang has been mired by sluggish work.
Much to the dismay, despite the budget allocation, the upgradation and blacktopping of 7.8 kilometres of the road's stretch have achieved only around 40 per cent physical progress so far.
A contract was awarded to Ashish Anest JV Chitwan for blacktopping the road from Chautara in Manang to Khudi by mid-July this year at a cost of over Rs 250 million. The carriageway of the road will be 5.5 metres and will be used for heavy vehicles to ferry goods.
The progress has been dismal as four months remain to reach the deadline of the contract, said Achyut Bilas Panta, chief of Road Office.
"The chief of the construction company is not attending the meetings we call. We have summoned the chief of the contractor company on March 11. We will discuss the matter in detail on that day."
The road has not been gravelled while canal construction has achieved 50 per cent progress. Wall erection has seen 60 per cent progress. "Major task is blacktopping, which is taking forever," he rued.
The road constructed by the Nepali Army in 2013 has been a backbone for Manang and northern Lamjung folks.
Chief District Officer of Manang Suprabha Khanal Dhunge admitted that complaints were pouring in from the public regarding delay in upgradation of the road and the local authority was effortful to hold discussions with the concerned parties.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 4, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
