Locals plant rice on muddy road in protest

Myagdi, June 28 : In protest of sheer recklessness on road maintenance, locals from Nayabazar of Mangala Rural Municipality-2 in the district have planted rice on muddy roads.    
    
The road section from Ranawang to Dukhukhola has turned muddy in the wake of incessant rainfall. A Nayabazar resident Shreeram Poudel said they planted rice on the muddy road to draw the attention of stakeholders and to exert pressure on the construction company.    
    
"The road is muddy and has ditches, causing risk of accidents," he said, adding, "They were forced to launch the symbolic protest with rice plantation." More than 20 persons participated into the rice plantation.    
    
The company contracted for blacktopping of the road, Biruwa-Caravan JZ, has been out of contact for three months.    
    
The Himalayan Builder was picked as a sub-contractor to repair and blacktop the road. As the main contractor failed to pay, even the sub-contractor stopped work in the middle.    
    
Officiating chief of the infrastructure development office in Myagdi, Guru Datt Adhikari, said although the main contractor was contacted repeatedly by phone and letters, it turned a deaf ears. "The line ministry has been written for confiscating the security of Biruwa-Caravan for its failure to complete the work on time," he added.    
    
The contract for the undertaking was made on Jestha 31, 2076 at Rs 270 million for two years' time. But, it has recorded only 55 percent progress so far. (RSS)