The upgrade of the Besisahar-Baglungpani-Ghalegaon-Bhujung road has faced significant delays. The 17-kilometer stretch from Baglungpani in Ward No. 1 to Bhujung in Ward No. 4, under the Kwholasothar Rural Municipality, is being upgraded with the budget allocated by the Gandaki Province government. However, the project has yet to be completed despite several deadline extensions.
According to the Infrastructure Development Office, despite repeated extensions, the upgrade is still incomplete. The latest deadline for the project is set for October 14, 2024, but only 70% of the physical work has been completed so far.
The contract for the upgrade, including blacktopping 10 kilometers from Baglungpani to Ghalegaon and graveling 7 kilometers from Ghalegaon to Bhujung, was awarded to Kanchharam-Nana JV on October 16, 2019. As per the original agreement, the project was supposed to be completed by October 15, 2021. However, due to delays, the deadline was first extended to October 14, 2022.
When the project still lagged behind schedule, the deadline was further extended to April 4, 2024. With only one and a half months left before the final deadline, it appears unlikely that the work will be completed on time.
Sub-engineer Deepak Devkota from the Infrastructure Development Office reported that, so far, only 3 kilometers of the 10-kilometer blacktopping from Baglungpani to Ghalegaon has been completed. The construction of necessary structures is nearing completion, while the graveling of the 7 kilometers from Ghalegaon to Bhujung is still pending.
Furthermore, 30% of the drainage construction remains unfinished. Despite the extensions, the delays have been attributed to negligence by the contractor. The road is expected to feature 6 meters of blacktop width and 1 meter of drainage on either side.
The contractor company was awarded the project for a total of NPR 347.7 million. Currently, “Close Grading Premix” blacktopping is underway on the 10 kilometers between Baglungpani and Ghalegaon. However, the continued delay casts doubt on the timely completion of the project.
