Forest office building with investment worth more than 3 million stranded for a decade

By Suresh Dhami, Bajhang, Apr.28: The building of the Bhairabnath Area Forest Office, located between Jhota Bazar and Sudikhola, of Kedarasyu Rural Municipality-9, Bajhang, has been left stranded for the last nine years. Even though the building was completed on time, due to a lack of necessary procedures, the building has yet to come into use.

The contract was signed with the then District Forest office, for an investment of Rs 3.14 million, on July 14, 2016. The contract was handed over to Gagan Bahadur Singh of Thalara Rural Municipality-9 to complete it within two months. However, the time was extended to one more year, and the building was completed within that stipulated time. 

Singh said that he has received Rs 1.8 million, payments so far. The remaining moon has been 'frozen', because of a lack of technical identification. 

He said, "I have completed my work, but due to a lack of billing, the whole payment is yet to be made. The forest office is negligent because of a lack of billing. The forest office has been transferred to the Area Forestry Office, Sainshu."

Local Gobilal Bohara said, "The government building has been empty for years, neither used nor repaired."

Chairman of Kedarasyu Rural Municipality, Bajhang district, Ganesh Bohara, said that the geographical location of the building is unsuitable.

He said, "The place where it is built is at the bottom of a cliff, and rocks can fall at any time. A few years ago, a person died in a tractor accident in front of the same building, and after that, people stopped going there."