Budget bungle halts provincial hall construction

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.”