Kathmandu. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development Kul Man Ghising has urged subordinate bodies to carry out works in the reconstruction and reconstruction of government structures damaged during the Zenji Generation Movement.

Speaking at a meeting of the Development Problems Resolution Committee at the Ministry of Urban Development on Wednesday, Minister Ghising said that the reconstruction of government and public infrastructures should not take three to four years. A total of 125 structures under the jurisdiction of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction suffered minor damages (green stickers), 100 partially damaged (yellow sticker) and 44 completely damaged (red stickers).

Likewise, 51 structures including the Office of the President, the Prime Minister’s official residence in Singha Durbar, the Minister’s residence, and the Parliament Building were also damaged. Of them, 15 are green, 29 are yellow and 7 are red stickers. Out of the buildings with green stickers in the department’s working area, eight have been repaired while 38 are in the final stage. A consultant with yellow and red stickers has been appointed for the building and a detailed assessment of the damage is underway. The evaluation will be completed within a month.

Minister Ghising directed the government to scrap the contracts of the projects that have been made sick for many years and move ahead with a new process. “Why not break the contract? Let’s not sit in contact with the contractor after issuing the notice, let’s lose the guarantee of doing the work, no one has the right to take the decision to do it on our behalf and no one has the right to say that the contractor did not work, how can one not work for years but come and work now? Let’s terminate such contracts immediately. ’

As many as 42 contractors are sick under the jurisdiction of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction. Of them, 37 contracts have been annulled. According to the department, 36 contacts have been contacted and work has been started after the information was issued while one has not come into contact.

There are 16 contractors under the Department of Local Infrastructure Development. Out of them, the notice was issued asking why the contracts of 6 should not be terminated. Only one of them has been terminated. A total of Rs 91.34 billion has been allocated for the Ministry of Urban Development in the current fiscal year. Out of this, Rs 61.76 billion allocated for 2,140 programmes has been withheld. The ministry’s expenditure for the four months of the current fiscal year is 4 percent.

Secretary at the Ministry Gopal Sigdel urged the government to carry out regular monitoring of the progress made by the contractors though the contractors of sick contract have ÷returned to work. The meeting reviewed the status of budget implementation and problems of 2 departments and 5 bodies under the Urban Development Department in the first four months of the current fiscal year. The problems identified from the meeting would be presented to the National Development Problems Resolution Committee chaired by the Prime Minister.