Meet Project Deadlines

Development projects in our country rarely get completed within the stipulated time frame. Despite the government categorising some vital projects as national pride undertakings, considering their importance, they are seldom finished on time. When the projects that aim to bring about economic transformation are not constructed within the set deadline, it frustrates the stakeholders, hinders the country's development and erodes citizens' trust in the government. There are about 20 such pride projects that are ongoing at a sluggish pace. 

In this respect, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has drawn serious attention to the builders of the Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Multipurpose Project, a large infrastructure initiative, saying that failure to complete the works on the given deadline will result in the termination of the contract.   Laying the foundation stone of 64 road projects of Madhes Province under the One Election Constituency: One Road Project in Janakpurdham on Sunday, he stressed that any negligence and dillydallying in the project work can be worse than corruption and asked the contractors to work speedily. 

Once completed, the project is likely to provide irrigation facilities to 122,000 hectares of land in Rautahat, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi and Bara districts. In addition, it will generate 31.07 megawatts of power. At a time when agriculture mainly relies on rainwater due to a lack of proper irrigation facilities, the completion of this project would turn out to be a boon for a large number of farmers in the province.  Likewise, it would help increase the agricultural yields and would be instrumental in attaining self-reliance in food. The cost of the project soars when there is an inordinate delay in completing it.  

There has been a tendency of blaming the government by the contractors regarding pending payments. When works move on a sluggish pace, work is hard to complete on time and the blame game should not be used to cover up the inefficiencies. There should be unambiguous rules of project construction without room for making lame excuses. Those who violate the contract must come under legal scrutiny.  The defective practice of a contractor to pass the work to another party and the next party doing the same, should be stopped. 

Any nefarious nexus that hampers the timely completion of development projects needs to be nipped in the bud. Works done as specified in the contract deserve timely payment while a failure to meet the standard of the work should be dealt with appropriately. The concerned agencies should complete the DPR and environmental impact assessment on time. Land acquisition and tree clearance are another major hurdle the projects face. We have many instances of development projects being halted for years due to land acquisition and tree clearance issues. 

Infrastructures like roads, electricity, drinking water, communication, schools and hospitals, among others, give impetus to development. The delay in the completion of such projects naturally halts economic growth. It is imperative to identify the underlying causes behind the chronic malaise and, if necessary, the government should revoke the contract with the builders. Failure to punish the defaulters will only give rise to irregularities and impunity, which in turn holds back much-needed development and prosperity.