November 28: Despite extending the tenure of the Integrated Urban Environment Improvement Project (IUEIP) of Birgunj for three times, the project which has the main investment of Asian Development Bank (ADB), is still to be completed.

As the project has not seen any significant progress to complete it in the given time, the locals of the area are facing many difficulties. CTCE/Kalika Joint venture, a Nepal-China joint venture company had bagged the tender of the project in 2014.

The ADB has 81 percent of investment in the project. Likewise, Town Development Fund (TDF) and Birgunj Metropolitan City have 11 percent and 8 percent of investment, respectively.

According to Sailendra Shrestha, director of the project, 15 percent of work is still to be completed.

“The contractor was unable to complete the project within the given time period. We are yet to decide what to do with the contract,” he told New Business Age.

In 2015, the time period was extended by 10 months as the progress of the project was halted by Madhes movement and the unofficial economic blockade imposed by India. Later, the time period was again extended by five months and three months, respectively.