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Construction of the Madan Bhandari Memorial Assembly Hall in Triyuga Municipality in Udayapur district has stalled over flawed budget estimation.

The project was commissioned to Rabina Joshi-Pabitra Joint Venture for around Rs 240 million in 2017. But the contractors claim the projection was a heavy underestimation, forcing it to abandon work halfway.

The estimate for the proposed assembly hall was done in haste, leading to a budget shortfall of around Rs 300 million.

“The work that could be done with the available budget has been completed. But there is still a lot more to do,” says Kedar Dahal, a contractor. “How do you expect timely completion when the estimate fell by a third of the actual required budget?”

Project engineer Niraj Karn says they had informed of the cost estimate error to the office of Urban Development and Building Construction in Rajbiraj, Saptari, but to no avail.

“The office admitted to the error, but didn’t take any further steps,” he says. “We are yet to install slabs and trusses for the roofs of five blocks. The visitors’ hall, fence and garden also remain unfinished.” 

The project developers have already written to the urban development office, notifying of their plan to vacate the project site. They have also mentioned in their notice that electricity fixtures cannot be installed without first fixing the slabs.

Sachindra Kumar Dev, the chief of the urban development office, says most of the work has been completed in line with the agreement.

“Only a few things remain and they can also be completed soon with a new variation order,” he says.

The variation order will have to be approved by the Secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development. Dev says his office has already written to the ministry for the approval of the variation order up to 25 percent of the project cost.

The building complex was designed to hold up to 2,000 people at a time, with one large and one small hall, visitors’ hall, staff quarter, disabled-friendly restrooms, underground parking and garden.

The project, announced in fiscal 2015-16, is part of the federal government’s ‘smart city’ campaign for 25 municipalities across the country.

“The goal was to build provincial-level assembly halls and bus terminals of international standard,” says Manju Kumari Chaudhary, a former state minister for urban development. “But subsequent governments have neglected the campaign.”

There is an acute shortage of water in Udayapur-gadhi, a popular destination of historical importance in eastern Nepal (Gadhi in Nepali means a fort). King Uday Chandra of the Sen dynasty used to rule from this fort in the late 15th century. Even though the government has invested in infrastructure to attract tourists, lack of water has affected their stay in the area. 

“Water is a basic need. How can we expect the tourists to stay if we cannot even give them enough water?” asks Bodhkumar Ghimire, a local. “Some tourists come here despite the problem, but they do not stay long.” Man Bahadur Magar, chair of the rural municipality, says the federal government has allocated a budget of Rs 10 million to develop Udayapur-gadhi as a tourist destination. 

Rs 5 million has already been spent on the preservation of the dilapidated fortress. The remaining budget will be spent on infrastructure construction to attract tourists, says Magar. He, however, laments the lack of provision for drinking water. With the available budget, it is not possible to bring in water from a river that is 13 km away, says Magar. 

Hooked on tankers 

Kumar Rokka, another local, says some residents meet their needs by buying water. They pay Rs 4,000 for 4,000 liters of water that a tanker brings in. Usually, hotel operators and businesses make use of the tanker service, says another local Gopal Khatri. Ordinary people have to go to Jogi Dhara and Kopche Dhara, which are 2 km away, to fetch water, adds Rokka.  

The water shortage has also affected homestay businesses, which have been in operation for about five years. Then District Development Committee (DDC) and the Tourism Board had launched a homestay program to provide accommodation services to domestic and foreign tourists and to encourage local women to engage in entrepreneurial activities.

After a flood swept away a water source on July 13, the locals get tap water only once a week. “It is hard to run homestays due to problems in water management,” says Indra Kumari Rai, President of the Panchawati Community Homestay Committee. “The situation is so bad we cannot even offer drinking water to our guests. The condition of washrooms is worse. As a result, tourists who come to stay for a week leave after two days,” laments Rai. 

“Different projects have to be turned down just because of the dearth of water,” says the committee secretary Rita Kumari Dhamala. “The DDC first took us on observation trips to homestays in other areas, and we were inspired to start the business here. Unfortunately, we have reached a point where we have to close down.”

Multi-year failure 

Udayapur-gadhi has about 50 houses and a population of around 1,000. Although the government introduced a multi-year project six years ago to solve the water problem, locals say it has been ineffective. Rs 10.54 million was allocated for this project, but it did not work as the fund was released in annual installments. Rs 2 million was issued in the first year, Rs 5 million in the second year, and Rs 6.31 million in the third year. 

Due to the small size of the annual budget, water pipes and tanks are being worn out. “Even though we got the pipes, we could not lay them as we did not have money for digging,” says Dipak Rokka, another local.

A fallow field in Tapesori in Belaka municipality, where there is lack of laborers to work the land as most of the local youths have left for foreign employment. Photo Bharat Khadka

With more and more youngsters leaving for foreign employment, villages in the eastern Nepal district of Udayapur are becoming deserted. As political promises of economic development and more employment opportunities have mostly remained unmet, youths are seeking better opportunities abroad.

With the absence of youngsters in the villages, the responsibility of making arrangements for weddings and religious festivals has shifted to the elderly. Earlier, in times of crisis, youths came forward to handle the situation. If someone fell sick, for example, it was usually the youths who took them to the hospital and stayed there at night. But the situation has changed drastically, as mostly school-going children and the elderly are left in the villages.

There is hardly any household here that does not have at least one member abroad, says Rama Magar, Program Organizer at Secure Immigration Udayapur, an NGO. Many have also gone to pursue higher studies or to work in other parts of Nepal.

“In the absence of youths in the villages, we face difficulty managing even simple tasks. It’s harder still in times of crises,” says Ram Bahadur Ale, 75. “And festivals are not fun anymore.” Ale adds that youths have no choice but to look for jobs elsewhere.

Jitu Harka Tamang says, “Sometimes there is no one to take us to the hospital or wait for us overnight. Fields have been left fallow, as many households only have elderlies who are unable to do farm work.”

Hiramani Rai, 65, shares a similar story. “I am not been able to do heavy work and I cannot find enough laborers,” he laments. He adds that production has decreased by half in recent times. “Earlier, youths used to stage dramas and entertain us, but now that most of them have left the village, it’s not fun anymore.”

Gunraj Shrestha, Ward Secretary of Dumre, Udayapurgadi, says that at least one person from each of the around 40 households in the ward has gone for foreign employment to Gulf countries. Rights activist Maheswori Rai says many youths, after completing their SEE, go to Gulf countries to work.

Padam Bahadur Pariyar, who has come home from abroad on holiday, says, “I had to go abroad because I was always short of money and had to take out a loan whenever my family faced a problem. It is hard to earn Rs 30,000 even after working the land for a whole year here. But we can earn that amount in just a month if we work abroad. So why would anyone stay here?” He adds that the country is facing problems because of the lack of technical education and scientific farming methods.