Budhha, Shiva statues do not arrive in Sasurali Park

BY HARI KRISHNA AIDI

Mugu, Aug. 6: The statues of Buddha and Shiva are yet to be placed at a park build at Majhthala Community Forest (Sasurali Danda) in Chhayanath Rara Municipality-2, although all structural works have been completed by the Bijuli Nirman Sewa construction company.

The construction company failed to place those statues due to its failure to bring the statues within the last fiscal year. Now the allocated budget for the Buddha and Shiva statues has been frozen. According to Basanti Budha, the information officer at the Division Forest Office, Mugu, the park construction was part of the ‘Sasurali Danda Tourism Infrastructure Development Project’ with the aim of developing the area as a religious and tourism destination. The project was facilitated by the Division Forest Office, Mugu, and received financial support of Rs. 5,999,759.23 from the Karnali Province government.

As per the office records, a competitive bidding process awarded the contract for constructing Sasurali Park under this project to Bijuli Nirman Sewa, a firm from Ward No. 1 of Soru Rural Municipality in the district. The agreement, including VAT, was worth Rs. 2,821,867, and the project was to be completed mid-June, 2025.

However, according to Lalit Kumar Karn, Chief of the Division Forest Office, the contractor did not complete the task of filling and sealing 60 gabion wire mesh cages and failed to fill the golden engraved letters. Additionally, the contractor has not brought in the metal statues of Shiva and Buddha as planned.

According to the office records, Rs. 2.2 million has already been paid to the contractor based on the work completed. Rup Bahadur Malla, an activist from the district's civil society, stated that the construction company appears to have executed only the easier aspects of the project for personal gain, despite the park being built to develop Sasurali Danda as a religious tourist site. Due to the absence of the metal statues of Shiva and Buddha, which were supposed to be brought from outside the district, Hindu and Buddhist visitors with religious beliefs are unable to perform worship or pay homage, leading to public complaints.

Malla said that the construction company, which failed to deliver the statues and caused the allocated budget to be frozen, should be subject to action by the concerned authorities.