A private company, MV Dugar Group, has been found to have secretly inaugurated a tunnel construction project without entering any contract with and taking permission from the government agencies, and the inauguration took place just two days after the federal government announced the budget for the project.
Unveiling the annual budget on May 29 for the upcoming fiscal year 2021/2022, the government has allocated an amount of Rs. 250 million for the construction of the 900-meter long tunnel at Lamabagar in Bigu Rural Municipality-1 which is estimated to cost Rs. 2.46 billion.
The proposed tunnel way falls along the 31-km long Lamabagar-Falak road section connecting Lamabagar of Nepal with Falak of Tibet, China. Lamabagar has already been connected with the national road network.
Once the road to Falak of Tibet, China, is made, it will also serve as the shortest road linking India-Nepal-China via Jaynagar of India to Bardiabas, Khurkot, Manthali (Ramechhap district), Dolakh to Sigati, and then to Lamabagr of Nepal, and then finally to Falak, the Nepal-China border point.
People’s representatives and political parties in the local levels have been taking initiatives for the construction of the road with the 900-meter long tunnel for the last 10 years so as to connect Lamabagar with Falak by road.
The government has allocated Rs 250 million in the 2021/22 budget for the construction of the Lambagar tunnel announcing the road section with the tunnel would be a multi-year project and that the government would announce a tender for construction.
Confusion about the construction of the road section with the tunnel surfaced after Chairman of Bigu Rural Municipality Yudhistar Khadka inaugurated the construction of the tunnel in an inaugural ceremony organised by the Dugar Group.
Yudhistar Khadka said that the Dugar Group had invited him for the inauguration. “A responsible person from that company told me that they were constructing the tunnel and that I just had to inaugurate the construction of the tunnel. So I participated in the programme.”
He said that he participated in the inaugural of the tunnel construction, not for any conspiracy, but as it is vitally important for the prosperity of people of Bigu Rural Municipality and the district.
Former Minister of Communications and Information Technology Parbat Gurung said that dramatic activity of the Dugar Group amid government appropriation of budget for the construction of the tunnel would only create obstacles for the construction work.
He added that he was astonished to hear that the Dugar Group that has got approval for the construction of the 160 MW Lapche hydro project could claim to construct the tunnel in the context that the Group has not been able even to open track up to the point from where the tunnel starts.
“Either the Dugar Group wants to hold a grip on the project through the government or it intends to keep holding the license for hydropower for years by failing the tunnel construction project,” former minster Gurung viewed.
The Department of Road has prepared a report estimating Rs 2.46 billion to construct 900 meters tunnel way of the international standard.
Head of the Road Department of Charikot Bijay Kumar Mahato said that no one has been given approval for the construction of the tunnel way.
He said that an appropriate construction company will be selected for the construction of the tunnel way as it entails significant risk. “It requires utmost care and capable human resources as it is located in risky zone of 456 MW Tamakoshi hydropower dam site.”
The distance between Lambagar and Shigatse of Tibet, China, is 80 km shorter compared to the distance between Tatopani and Kerung, border points in Nepal to Shigatse of Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
Distance from Kathmandu to Kerung, Tatopani or Lamabagar is almost the same, hence the government has prioritized the road to Lamabagar so as to have more trade points with China.
According to the Department of Road, the Upper Tamakoshi hydro project has constructed the 68 km long standard road from Charikot of Dolakha to the valley of Lambagar through Singati.
The distance between Lamabagar and Falak of Tibet, China is 21 km.
Source : TRN,
