Construction work of Binayak-Thatikhand section of the Mid-hill Highway in Achham district is nowhere near complete as its three-year contract period expires next month.

Tejendra KC, the site engineer of the road project, said that the construction of the road could not be completed on time due to shortage of human resources and equipment.

“The contractor could not deliver the required construction materials on time which led to the delay,” said KC.

The contractor, Rajendra Construction Service, has started paving the road only recently.

One of the workers at the site said that the works have been hampered due to the negligence of Rajendra Construction Service.

“The contractor company did not provide us with the construction materials. We don’t think we can complete the construction work by the given deadline,” he said.

In mid-April 2016, the contractor company had agreed to blacktop the road within April 28, 2019.

Tularam Sharma, an engineer of the western section of the road in Dang, said the contractor was told to deliver the project in time, but to no avail.

“The Mangalsain-Thatikhand road section is complete, while only 5km

of the Belkhet-Binayak road section remains to be blacktopped. Furthermore, the construction of Bayalpata-Mangalsain road section is at its final stage. However, Binayak-Thatikhand section has not made a desired progress,” said Sharma.

Locals have long been complaining about the delay in construction of the Binayak-Thatikhand road section.

“Workers come to site only for a few days of a month. The contractor has not done anything to expedite the work,” said Maniram Timilsaina.

Once the highway is completed, it will be one of the shortest routes connecting Achham with the Tarai. It is also expected to boost the district’s economy.