Dec 23: It has been one and half year since the deadline of construction of a tourist road expired in Bajhang district, but much to the dismay of local residents, the project has not inched towards any progress so far.     

The track for the road has not been opened yet owing to gross negligence of the construction company.     

The construction of road named 'Khaptad Touristic Road' stretching from Darugaun in Khaptadchanna rural municipality to the base area (Lokhada) of Khaptad has been in limbo.     

The Sudurpaschim provincial government had allocated the budget for the same in the fiscal year 2019/2020.     

MP Constructions was awarded contract at Rs 4.6 million to open a track for the road in December 2020. The construction company has already received Rs 984,000 as the first installment for the undertaking, but has gone out of contact since then, locals complained.     

Chief engineer at the Infrastructure Development Office, Junga Bahadur Thapa, shared that they had been repeatedly following up with the focal person of the construction company but to no avail.     

Similarly, a local resident Top Bahadur Khadka informed that the irate locals have seized a tractor of the construction company because they did not get payment of their work for the project that is currently hanging in balance.