By Our Correspondent, Kathmandu, Mar. 20: Reconstruction of the Gorkha Palace has been halted again owing to the shortage of wood. As the contractor could not bring timber needed for the reconstruction of the historic palace, the work has been halted completely since March 10, said the Palace Curator’s Office.

“Work at the site was halted from February 13 due to the shortage of construction materials and resumed from February 26. But as the wood couldn’t be managed as per the commitment, the reconstruction work has been disturbed again since March 10,” said Hari Prasad Bhusal, chief of the office.

Contractor company Pachali Shiva JV had given an oral commitment to bring the wood by last Sunday but it could not make it happen by the evening on Thursday.

The rebuilding of the palace needs 104 beams and four pillars but the contractor had brought only 65 beams while 39 beams and four pillars are yet to be managed.

Earlier in February, the workers had engaged themselves in the maintenance of old artefacts like old strut and eye-window but after that they have no job.

The contractor company said that the disturbances in the transportation of wood had affected in the supply. It said the ban on the transportation of long-size timber had created problems. But the Department of Archaeology (DoA) disagrees with the contractors claim.

“There was problem before a month. But the government has lifted the prohibition on wood transportation. This is just an excuse for the contractor,” said Bhusal.

The deadline to complete the reconstruction of the palace was mid-December 2020. The project was contracted out in December 2017 with a mandate to complete it within two years. However, the contractor couldn’t complete the work and deadline was extended for two times (six months each) until December last year. The contractor has completed only 65 per cent of the total work.

Currently, the DoA has neither barred the contractor from working nor made any decision in terms of extending the deadline, said Bhusal.
The DoA is holding discussion about the further move to be taken. The historic Gorkha palace is being rebuilt at the budget of Rs. 43.2 million.
The delay in the reconstruction of the palace has affected other tourism activities in the district as well.