Frequent threatening calls worry contractors

Kathmandu, Apr. 30: Contractors across the country are continuously being threatened of their lives and property for the last couple of months.

They said that they were getting calls from unknown numbers and are afraid of meeting the unknown people and even to go to the project sites.

"We are repeatedly getting calls from unknown numbers and are not able to conduct business with ease and speed. If the situation persists, it will be difficult for us to continue with the profession," said President of the Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal (FCAN) Rabi Singh at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that the deteriorating security situation for the businessmen was due to weak state mechanism.

"We informed and reported to the police, ministries and other concerned agencies about our plight but there have been no effective action against the criminals although it has been more than a couple of months," said Singh. "Our families and staff members of our offices are living in constant fear."

According to a list published by the FCAN, its former presidents, advisors, office bearers and members and other businesspersons were receiving threats.

The list includes the name of Singh himself, former presidents and advisors Ramesh Sharma and Jayaram Lamichhane, advisor Sharada Prasad Adhikari, senior vice president Nicholas Pandey, general secretary Roshan Dahal, central working committee members Ramjee Manta, Ujjwal Gautam, former members Dipak Gautam, Gelje Lama Sherpa and Humnath Koirala.

Similarly, former senior vice president Laxman Kumar Rana, associate member Bharat Jung Rayamajhi, and members Ram Gopal Shrestha, Dharma Raj Dahal and L. G. Sherpa are also in the list.

Pandey said that businesspersons from other sectors might also have received such threatening calls but were afraid to report it to the police or announce it publicly.

"We are afraid of visiting the sites of projects where we are working. This is very demotivating," he said.

Former president Lamichhane said that the contractors did not feel the presence of government. He warned that if the situation remained the same, development work might be affected.

According to general secretary of FCAN Roshan Dahal, the organisation had informed the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Inspector General of Police, Central Investigation Bureau, Metropolitan Police Circle, Metropolitan Police Crime Division and other concerned agencies in written form.

"But neither the threatening calls have been stopped nor the police had taken any action against the criminals," he said.

He said that the contractors had come to the media as the last resort of support.

Member of FCAN Kumar Acharya said that the contractors in the districts were also getting threatening calls and were scared of visiting the development sites. He pointed towards the need to implement integrity measures in construction business.

Spokesperson of Nepal Police Uttam Raj Subedi said that police was investigating into the case and had arrested some people connected to it.

"We are putting our efforts to bring the criminals to the book. But some social media cases are complex as it is difficult to get the needed data from their head offices," he said.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 1 May 2019.