RUPANDEHI /PARSA, MAY 16 -
Hundreds of development projects in the districts have been affected after crusher industries stopped supplying construction materials such as sand and gravel from April 29 protesting the new provisions proposed by the government to regulate them.
Authorities concerned said the strike may leave the ongoing projects,
including construction and widening of roads, incomplete, freezing their
budget and increasing costs.
In Rupandehi, the strike has affected around 400 development projects being implemented under the Road Division Office with the budget of Rs 500 million. Likewise, scores of development projects
launched by the District Development Committee, municipalities and
VDCs have also been affected due to the shortage of construction
materials.
Among the most affected projects are the construction of a 10 kilometre
section of the Belahiya-Butwal six-lane road and a bridge at Yogikuti.
The cost of the road project alone stands at around
Rs 910 million.
“Development projects which were supposed to be completed within May
have been affected due to the lack of construction materials. Some of
them have come to a
complete halt,” said Madhavjung Karki, chief engineer at the DDC.
Karki said budget released for various projects may remain unused if
the ongoing works are not completed in time. Contractor Bharatjung
Rayamajhi said they had been using construction materials kept in stock
for the Belahiya-Butwal road project. “We would be left with no option
other than halting the work if the stock is not replenished,” he said.
Likewise, Suman Yougesh, an engineer at the Department of Roads in
Hetauda, said all ongoing projects of the department have come to a halt
due to the shortage of construction materials. He said whatever
materials they had in stock will be finished within few days.
Om Prakash Sikariya, former chairman of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, demanded that the concerned stakeholders should sort out
the problem at the earliest.
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