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हरेक खबर विशेष खबर

Manang, Aug 19: Although a contract was signed 10 years ago to construct a motorable bridge in Manang, it has not been completed yet.

Locals have to travel keeping their lives at risk in lack of completion of the construction of the motorable bridge over Marsyangdi River linking Manang Ngisyang rural municipality-3 and Ngawal-4 of Manang even in 10 years. 

Infrastructure Development Office, Manang, shared that though the construction company had already got 70 per cent payment, construction activities are very slow. 

Office Chief Hari Thapa stated that the construction company has not forwarded construction activities as per the expectation even after getting required amount of payment. 

Even though the office has extended the deadline of the contract time and again, the construction of the motorable bridge has not been completed yet. 

An agreement was signed to complete the construction of the bridge in the last of Asar, 2073 BS at a cost of around Rs 40 million. 

Chairperson of Manang Ngisyang rural municipality-3, Krishna Bahadur Lama, blamed that contractors as well as the office have not shown any interest in bridge construction. 
It takes a long time to reach rural municipality office in lack of bridge, opined locals. 

"The rural municipality office can be reached within four to five minutes once the bridge is constructed. It takes long time to reach the office at present due to the lack of a bridge," said Mukhiya Lama, a local.

Local residents are demanding that the contract with the contractor company should be abrogated if the latter is not carrying out the construction works and continue construction through a new company.

They complained that other development works in their area were also affected with the delay in the bridge construction.

During the monitoring of development works in the district, Manang's MP and former minister Tek Bahadur Gurung instructed the contractor company to immediately continue with the bridge construction works. He also directed the concerned infrastructure office to make payments only after evaluating the completion of the bridge construction.

Kanchha Ghale, the chairperson of Manang Ngisyang Rural Municipality, said that even though he repeatedly contacted the contractor to urge them to complete the work, the company showed no interest. He mentioned that the company that didn’t do the work was given multiple extensions to give them a chance to complete it.

Former MP Palden Chhompang Gurung said that both locals and tourists had to face difficulties because necessary infrastructure in the tourist area of Manang was not built on time. He added that if infrastructure like bridges had been built on time, it would have made travel easier for both locals and tourists.