“We will select a new contractor through a fast track process and it´s very likely that we will complete the project by the end of 2016,” said Krishna Prasad Acharya, executive director of MWSDB.[break]
Four weeks ago, the Chinese contractor had informed the Melamchi Board that it has decided to withdraw from the project, citing problems over payment and lack of support from the board. Just three days of submitting the withdrawal letter, however, the Chinese company sought support from the government to resume the work, saying it was ready to do so if its demands were fulfilled.
“But we decided to terminate the contract as we suspected the company´s motive and it was almost clear that they would not complete the project,” said Ghanashyam Bhattarai, deputy executive director of MWSDB.
“We will not compromise on quality and time. We can be flexible about the amount of money required as we will have to bear huge loss if the project is not completed in time,” added Bhattarai.
According to the board, about $100 million has already been spent for the project. The total estimated cost of the project is $ 249 million. “We want to assure the public that despite all the problems, the projected will be completed by 2016,” added Acharya.
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