Shrawan 3, Janata Voice Correspondent, Ramechhap
Due to the disagreement of the observers on the working system of the project constructed at a total cost of Rs. 50 lakhs, the heat has increased in Likhu Tamakoshi village of Ramechhap. Officials of the Consumers’ Committee have become exhausted While visiting the village municipality office in a cold place at an altitude of more than 1,800 meters above sea level. Payment of the Aparkhola Pahirekhola embankment construction project near Jamirekhani School, Likhu Tamakoshi village municipality ward no. 6 , has been stopped due to disagreement, about the work was without any achievement,between The monitoring committee including the vice-chairperson of the village municipality Deepshikha Dahal ,some observers and the chairperson of the village municipality.
After receiving Rs 5 million from the Parliamentary Development Fund on the initiative of Shyam Kumar Shrestha, a federal MP from Ramechhap, the construction of embankment on the Aparkhola watchtower was started.
It may be recalled that the budget of Likhu Tamakoshi village municipality for the fiscal year 2076-077 was allocated on Chaitra 03.
Urmila Adhikari, chairperson of the project’s consumer committee, says that the work of the project has been completed as per the budget by end of Asar, even though the country has been shut down due to Corona Virus Covid 19 for about a week after the budget was allocated. Of course, this project is very surprising to see. 390 gabion nets of 2 and 3 cubic meters have been laid in the middle of the river. There are 17 step nets with an estimated vertical height of 15 meters have been laid. Looking at the work of the project, it looks like a steps of the road. In the middle of the gabion, space has been set aside for the flow of the river and the empty space above17 steps of the river has been filled with soil. The embankment cannot be considered less than a pond. But it is not only an embankment but also a playground for nearby school children. The embankment, which was built for fear of erosion by the river called Aparkhola, has finally turned into a playground.
There is a difference of opinion between the locals and the monitors and the village chairman about this project. Among the monitors, Princess Basnet and Padam Bahadur Tamang said that they would not agree to the payment under any circumstances, while Vice-Chairperson Deepshikha Dahal and Regina Budhathoki have been insisting that the amount should be paid according to the work in any case.
However, village chairman Govinda Bahadur Khadka has been in the stand of not paying for the project which was spilled into the river.
Shiva Prasad Neupane is the ward chairman of the ward where the project was constructed. Neupane said that the embankment and playground had to be built at the site as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had said that they would not be able to rebuild the school without a playground as Shri Jamirekhani secondary school was damaged by the earthquake previously. Also, Ward Chairman Neupane is of the view that the payment should not be stopped as the project was completed on time.
Raj Kumari Basnet, a member of the project, said that no concrete achievement has been seen in the amount spent on the project and the cost of the project has been squandered. She says that she will not sign for the payment of the project under any circumstances. Moreover, she did not lament the fact that there was corruption in the project.
Padam Bahadur Tamang, one of the other monitors and chairman of Likhu Tamakoshi Village Municipality, Ward No. 2, said that he would not agree to pay for the project under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, observers Basnet and Tamang said that they did not agree to pay for the project, Village Municipality Vice-Chairperson Deepshikha Dahal, on the other hand, opined that the payment of wages of the workers should not be withheld after the completion of the project.
Agreeing with Deputy Chief Dahal, Regina Budathoki, another member of the group, said that the village chairperson . Budathoki emphasized that the workers should not be the victims of disputes within the village municipality and should be paid for the work done.
For the construction of the project,there were 390 gabion nets have been used. That Gabion nets have been purchased and made it available by the Ward no.6 Durga Bahadur Shrestha, president of the Community Forest Users Federation and a construction entrepreneur. He vehemently denies the allegation that Durga Bahadur Shrestha has set up a net for the purpose of doing business in the village municipality. He says that his job is to do construction business. There is no one in the district who sells nets other than me, so what should I do without selling nets?
Urmila Adhikari, chairperson of the Aparkhola Paharekhola Embankment Construction Consumer Committee, said that she was shocked by the words and behavior of Govinda Bahadur Khadka. Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. Govinda Bahadur Khadka, chairman of the village municipality, claims that no one can say that the work of the project constructed in Khimti is right even if it is to bring about 3 crore of Nepali citizens . Pointing out about the work of the project is not good, Khadka says, “Govinda Bahadur wants to hang on but he cannot say that the bad work is good.”
Chairman Govinda Bahadur Khadka has realized the fact that money should be spent on wages and purchase of nets. He pointed out that it was not appropriate to employ his own people in his municipality and not pay them, he said, adding that he was thinking of paying the wages of the workers and even the bill for the purchase of gabion nets. When we analyze this,
the project is worth around 50 lakh, it can be estimated that the wages of the workers and for the gabion nets will be paid around Rs. 20-22 lakh.file Photo
