Sindhupalchowk. Sindhupalchowk: An under-construction motorable concrete bridge over the Brahmayani river at Jugal rural municipality in Sindhupalchowk district has been stuck for the past five years.

Surya JV Construction Company was entrusted with the responsibility to construct the bridge at a cost of Rs 80 million to complete the construction within two years. The then Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota had laid the foundation stone of the 63-metre-long bridge connecting Jugal rural municipality-1 and 5 on April 1, 2018.

According to Himal Shrestha, vice-chair of Jugal rural municipality, the local government has repeatedly urged to proceed with the construction work, but the entrepreneurs involved in the construction are ignoring it. According to him, the residents of the erstwhile Selang and Golche VDCs will be benefited after the construction of the bridge. Vice-chairman Shrestha said that the contractor has been incommunicado by giving the responsibility of the construction work to the petty contractor.

Ganesh Archaya, proprietor of Surya JV Construction Company, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of the construction, said that although the drawing design has been approved, the work has not started due to the charikot division office not making the VO. “We wanted to complete the bridge work immediately, but it became difficult to carry out the work as the Road Division Office, Charikot, did not provide a VO,” he said. He claimed that the Road Division Office, Charikot, has not paid the bill for the last two years.

Akash Shrestha, division chief of Road Division Office, Charikot, said that the work of vo and bill payment would not be stopped as the middle pillar of the bridge is 10 inches apart and its drawing has been re-constructed and approved.

Rabindra Ghimire, ward chair of Jugal rural municipality-5, said people were facing problems due to lack of construction of the bridge. Although there is a suspension bridge to cross the river, there is a risk as it is dilapidated, he said.