Govt inks performance contracts for nine infrastructure projects

In its bid to ensure timely implementation of national pride projects, the government on Sunday inked performance contracts with chiefs of nine different projects ranging from Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track and Mid-hill Highway to Postal Highway and North-south Highway.
The performance contracts--that insulate project chiefs and team members from sudden removal or transfer--were signed between Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM) and respective project chiefs.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OMPCM), Bal Ram Mishra, chief of the eastern part of the Mid-hill Highway project, Umesh Jha, chief of the western part of the Mid-hill Highway project, Mukti Gautam, chief of the Postal Highway project, Devi Shakya, chief of the North-south Highway project and Rajendra Raj Sharma, chief of the fast track project, among others, signed separate performance contracts with the MoPPWTM secretary.
“These contracts make it mandatory for all project chiefs to meet targets set for the fiscal year 2012/13,” says the statement.
Mishra and Jha, for instance, have been assigned to complete tasks of opening tracks, developing bridges and upgrading roads on eastern and western parts of the Mid-hill Highway that connects Chiyobhanjyang in the east and Jhulaghat in the west by a 1,750km road.
OPMCM Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota said the government also has a plan to establish around 25 urban hubs in different parts of the Mid-hill Highway.
Similarly, Gautam has been assigned to complete the task of land acquisition, track opening and bridge construction on the Postal Highway (1,824 km). The highway, being built with the financial support of the Indian government, comprises 125 bridges. According to the statement, the government is also planning to request India to develop bridges on the highway.
The chief of much touted fast track project that connects Kathmandu and Nijgadh, on the other hand, has agreed to complete land acquisition and track opening tasks this fiscal year.
Currently, the Nepal Army is opening the 76-km track, of which 56 km has been opened.
“I am confident that the implementation of national pride projects will be smooth and these performance contracts will allow project implementing teams to work with confidence,” the statement quoted MoPPWTM Secretary Sitaula as saying.
Last week, the government had signed performance contracts with the project chiefs of three irrigation projects, namely Babai, Rani Jamara and Sikta.