Contractor goes out of contact after receiving 95 per cent payment, bridge construction incomplete for eight years

Saptari, Nov.27: Eight years have passed since the construction of the bridge over the Mutani River connecting Nargho and Phakira, located in Rajgadh Rural Municipality-3, Saptari District, but it has yet to be completed.

Locals of Phakira Kupahi, Rampura Malhaniya, Inaruwa, and Jhutaki face commuting problems because of the lack of a bridge over the Mutani River. 

Raghuveer Khang, a local, said that since there is no bridge even the ambulance cannot go to the village when people are sick or facing some problems.

He said, "If anyone gets ill and needs to be taken for treatment we commute through the old canal trail, which allows two-wheelers only. Four-wheelers cannot pass through."

According to Khang, this is also the way to go to doctors and clinics in nearby Nargho. 

He said that matters get worse during the rainy season as winter somehow gets by. Locals need to take the long route to commute because of that. 

Khang said that although the problem is avoided during the dry season, during the rainy season, they have to travel twice the distance by another route.

Local Mo Bashir complained that this is the nearest road to reach the district headquarters, Rajbiraj, so he is suffering in every work. 

The construction of the bridge is going on at a snail- pace. The locals are disappointed.

He said, "Contractors sometimes come and do little work and then disappear for months."

Bashir said that it has been so many years and if we complain then they push it giving many reasons. I don’t know if the bridge will be built or not, even if it doesn’t know when. 

Roshan Construction Pvt. Ltd, Janakpur, was handed the contract to construct a bridge on May 15, 2015, on an investment of Rs 54,093,000. 

Initially, there was an agreement between the Road Division, Lahan, and the construction company to complete the work by May 23, 2018. Since then, the deadline has been extended five times. 

The deadline that was extended for the last time has also expired on October 25, 2024.

Ashutosh Karn, head of Road Division Office Lahan, said that he has repeatedly urged the construction company to complete the work quickly. 

Ashwini Kumar Yadav, information officer of the office, said that 85 percent of physical progress has been achieved so far.

He said that a payment of Rs 45,200,000 has been made to the company. 

He said that the goal is to complete the work by the end of the current fiscal year.

"The contractor has committed to complete the construction in the next one and a half months. If it is late, we will try our best to complete the work within the current year. We will move forward according to that stipulated goal", he said.