Minister Ghising warns of penalties for delays to road construction

KATHMANDU: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Kul Man Ghising, has warned that contractors responsible for delays in road construction projects will face penalties and that the government may terminate contracts if necessary.

Speaking at the 23rd anniversary of Road Board Nepal (RBN) today, Minister Ghising said the government will no longer tolerate contractors who fail to complete road projects within the stipulated deadlines. "This is not a matter of choice for the government, but a compulsion," he said.

The minister added that while demand for road improvements is high, limited budget allocations have become a major obstacle to intervening in such projects on time.

Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Keshab Kumar Sharma, said development should not be measured merely by construction. He stressed the need for building usable, quality roads and added that the timely restoration of damaged roadways is an urgent priority.

RBN Executive Director Ganesh Bahadur KC said delays in maintaining damaged roads increase costs by three to four times.

Likewise, Director General of the Department of Roads, Dr Bijaya Jaishi, described road infrastructure as the backbone of development and called for guaranteeing the budget to ensure the timely restoration of damaged roadways.