Kathmandu, Aug. 24
The Public Procurement Management Office
(PPMO) has blacklisted Sailung Construction Company barring it from
participating in the bidding and implementation of any public construction and
development work for three years.
This is the maximum period of moratorium for
a construction company, according to the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
According to a notice published by the
office on Wednesday, the company was blacklisted on the recommendations of the
Directorate of Road Maintenance and Development Project as it filed to fulfill
the obligation under the contract and complete the projects in time with the agreed
quality standard.
The projects in question this time are
Bhaktapur-Nagarkot-Sipaghat Road Project and Trishuli/Chhahare-Bidur Road
Project which the company, in joint venture with an Indian construction firm,
Aravali Infrapower Limited, couldn't complete in time despite repeated notice
and warning.
Article 63(1) of the Public Procurement
Act, 2007, maintains that if it is proved that the concerned company had
committed substantial defect in implementing procurement contract or had not
substantially fulfilled obligation under the contract or the work carried out
according to the procurement contract is not of the quality as per the said
contract, the PPMO can blacklist a bidder, proponent, consultant, supplier,
service provider or even the construction entrepreneur.
Such blacklisting will be active for one to
three years on the basis of the seriousness of the negligence or irregularity.
Earlier in September last year, Kathmandu
Valley Road Improvement Project had warned Diwa/Sailung JV along with United
Builders and Engineers for blacklisting as they couldn't complete the
construction work as per the contract even after extension of the completion
deadline. That time, Diwa/Sailung had faltered in 3.2km long
Dholahiti-Sunakothi-Chapagaun Road expansion work.
Likewise, the company couldn't complete the
Balaju-Tin Piple Road – a critical infrastructure to transport solid waste of
the Kathmandu Valley to Banchare Danda in Nuwakot district. The Department of
Roads (DoR) had decided to cancel the contract with the company about a couple
of months ago but the latter went to the court to challenge the decision and
was successful to get an interim order not to cancel the contract and blacklist
it. However, the court gave a new verdict last week opening a way to blacklist
the company.
The company is run by Sharada Prasad
Adhikari, known as the 'landlord of CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman, Pushpa Kamal
Dahal Prachanda', and his son Anup Adhikari. The PPMO has mentioned Anup's name
as the concerned person of the company in the notice.
Sailung has also failed to complete the
Kalanki-Nagdhunga and Kamalbinayak-Nagarkot roads expansion, and construction
of three roads in Kapan of Kathmandu in time as well. According to the DoR, it
has got multiple extensions in deadline but couldn't complete the project.
Likewise, the PPMO has blacklisted two
Chinese companies - Zhongding International Engineering Company and Changqing Wangbian
Electric (Group) Corporation Limited. Both of these are blacklisted for failing
to complete the projects of Nepal Electricity Authority including
Hetaunda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat Transmission Line Project. Both of these companies
are blacklisted for three years.
Similarly, Baliya Construction, Johnson
Construction and Suppliers, Just In Time Construction, Aspial Group of
Engineers, Surgimed Distributors and Tumyehang Construction Service are
blacklisted for a year while Mahalaxmi Wire and Cable Industries is blacklisted
for 2 years and 6 months.
The office had earlier blacklisted Pappu
Construction, Rujan-Jagadamba-Bhubaneshwari and Bhairav JV, Aakash and Pawan
Construction, Shivaram/Siddgadhi JV, Aman and Isha Construction, Shia
Construction along with about 100 others.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 August 2022.
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