Government signs performance contracts with nine project chiefs

The government has signed the performance based evaluation contract with chiefs of nine projects under the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management, according to The Prime Minister’s Office.

Secretary at the ministry Tulasi Prasad Sitaula signed the agreement paper with the respective chiefs of the nine national pride projects, said Office of the Prime Minister.

The government has divided the Mid Hill Highway into two sections — eastern and western — and made separate contracts with the chiefs of each section. The ministry signed the evaluation contract with Balaram Mishra to open track, construct bridges and upgrade the road conditions in the eastern section of the Mid Hill Highway. Similarly, it has appointed Umesh Jha for the western section under the same terms and conditions.

A 1,750-km long Mid Hill Highway will stretch from Chiyobhanjyang in the east to Jhulaghat in the west, according to secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister Krishna Hari Baskota.

The government has appointed Mukti Gautam to carry out activities of the Hulaki Highway. "The government signed a result oriented performance evaluation contract with Gautam to distribute compensation for land acquisition, construct bridges and open the track in the Hulaki Highway," Baskota said, adding that the Indian government has provided assistance for the construction of the highway. "The government has planned to complete a 678-km road section in the first phase of the Hulaki Highway project."

The government has divided the North South Highway into three corridors — Koshi, Kali Gandaki and Karnali — he said, adding, "the government has signed a result oriented contract with the overall project chief of the project Devi Shakya Bajracharya to open the track for the road, construct bridges and link different sections."

The government has also signed a separate contract paper with chiefs of all three Koshi, Kali Gandaki and Karnali corridors. Sabyendra Shakya, Kailash Kumar Shrestha and Dharmendra Kumar Jha have been appointed as chiefs to oversee Koshi, Kali Gandaki and Karnali corridors, respectively.

Likewise, the government has signed the performance based evaluation contract with Rajendra Raj Sharma to carry out activities including opening of track with help from Nepal Army and land acquisition process.

The government has appointed Yogendra Kumar Rai as chief for the Railway Project. The project must study the possibility of operating railway services in Kathmandu valley along with a study on the possibility of Kathmandu-Abukhaireni-Pokhara-Tamsariya-China railway route.

Sitaula said that the ministry is optimistic about completing the projects in the stipulated time.

"The government has outlawed strikes and bandhs at the sites of national pride projects," said Baskota, adding that the government will soon sign result oriented performance evaluation contact with other national pride projects.

The government had recently said that it would implement the performance evaluation contract with chiefs of national pride projects in its ‘Immediate Action Plan to Reform Governance and Economic Sector’.