Exasperating delay has marred the completion of the country's parliament building within Singha Durbar, which hosts the Prime Minister’s Office and 20 or so other ministries. More than five years after the construction began, the parliament building, a symbol of Nepal's new federal democratic arrangement, remains incomplete. It hints at incompetence and colossal carelessness on the part of contractors and government. There have already been four extensions of deadlines awarded to the contractor and Section 120 of the existing Public Procurement Regulations, 2006, bars a fifth extension of the project deadline. Now the authorities have two options: impose a penalty on the contractor company at a daily rate of 0.05 percent (Rs 2.5 million per day for 200 days – Rs 50 Crore) and have them complete the work within the next 240 days. Understandably, the senior officials from the department or the construction company are reluctant to pursue this option. Another option is to amend the Public Procurement Regulations, 2006, to grant the contractor company a new lease of life. For many, the actual problem goes far beyond legal stipulations. Those involved- the Ministry of Urban Development, the Department of Building Construction and Urban Development, and the Special Building Project, appear unwilling to act and remain evasive. Contractor Tunditech has claimed it can complete the work in six months, citing that delay in decision-making, multiple changes in design, and technical clearances caused disruptions.
However, the contractor is not innocent either as such he must cough up penalties. The contractor breached the trust as it had promised the building would be completed in three years when the agreement was signed in 2019. The delays have added an additional cost of Rs 560 million to date, putting the project cost at more than Rs 5.8 billion. But the ultimate responsibility rests with the state. Each time a deadline for the Parliament building slipped, the officials failed to take firm action. A succession of ministers, speakers, and even prime ministers have come to the site and instructed the contractor to finish the work in time. This ritual of inspection without follow-through has not yielded any results so far. Corruption, inaction, and political meddling are major hindrances to any Nepali projects. Decisions are delayed because those in charge are afraid of criticism or being exposed. Tenders are awarded not on merit but on political affiliations and patronage. Changes in design are made without any analysis while consultants are sidelined, causing projects to stagnate. Meanwhile, the parliament building appears to be a case of improper planning. It is said that the Detailed Project Report was not duly evaluated and risk analyses were absent. Here, no government official is willing to answer while contractors provide multiple excuses and utilize legal loopholes to evade penalties.
Ministry on why quake grant distribution floundered
Having said that, we must know that the under-construction building is not a vanity project but a building where people's representatives gather for brainstorming to create legislations aimed at the welfare of the public who, through their taxed money, fund government projects such as the parliament building. The government must decide now; it can impose penalties on the contractor, give a final deadline, or revise the law. But halting the construction is not an option now as the nation is in urgent need of a modern, spacious parliament. The perpetual use of the hired BCCI conference hall for parliament sittings since 2008 is not just costly but also humiliating for the nation and the people.
