Jumla, October 4
Six construction companies contracted to build and upgrade roads along the Karnali Highway have been blacklisted for violating their contracts.
The companies were also contracted to maintain roads linking Jumla with the Manang and Mustang districts. The Public Procurement Monitoring Office took action against the companies following reports submitted by the Road Division Office, Jumla.
Road Division Office Chief Shravan Kumar Mahatara said the office had initiated action against the construction companies and forwarded the reports to its head office in Kathmandu.
Binamra Construction Service of Surkhet, which was contracted for road construction from fiscal year 2075/76 to 2079/80, has been blacklisted for three years.
Dhruba Building Service of Birendranagar has been barred from participating in public procurement for two years, while Abinash Construction Service of Chhayanath, Mugu, has been blacklisted for one year.
According to Sub-Engineer Birendra Rawal of the Road Division Office, Shankar Mali Construction Service of Kathmandu and Man Shahi Construction Service of Kalikot have each been blacklisted for three years, while Kashyap Contractors Service of Kathmandu has been blacklisted for two years.
The action was taken under Clause 63 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. The companies are barred from participating in public procurement during their respective periods of blacklisting.
Industry closures rise in Jumla
Meanwhile, the number of industries being closed in Jumla has been increasing. According to Tanka Prasad Neupane, chief of the Industry and Consumer Protection Office, 180 industries were closed in fiscal year 2082/83, while 188 were registered and 334 renewed their registration.
In the commerce sector, 61 firms were registered, 58 renewed their registration, and 52 were closed. The office collected around Rs 1.6 million in revenue during the fiscal year, Neupane said.
In the first two months of the current fiscal year, 43 firms have been registered, while 119 have renewed their registration and five have been closed. Eleven firms were registered under the commerce sector during the period.
Neupane said the registration of new industries has been declining for the past four years, while closures have been increasing. Newly registered businesses are engaged in production, agriculture and forestry, services, tourism, construction and information technology.
