RASUWA : A major infrastructure project at the key Nepal-China trade border remains stranded at 65 percent completion, ten years after construction began on what was originally intended to be a three-year project.

The construction of the Rasuwagadhi Integrated Customs Checkpoint was awarded to contractor Shyam Sundar-Rabina JV in 2016 under a Rs 540 million contract. The agreement mandated the construction of three major facilities—one dedicated to customs operations and two for security personnel—to streamline cross-border trade and immigration.

According to Shashindra Ghimire, Chief of the Intensive Urban and Building Construction Project Office in Dhading, progress has stalled due to contractor negligence, high worker turnover triggered by hazardous terrain, and recurring natural disasters such as floods and landslides.

The project encountered legal hurdles early on, remaining stalled for its first 18 months after a rival firm challenged the tender in court. The Supreme Court eventually dismissed the writ in May 2018, clearing the way for work to resume.

Project officials have now issued a stern warning to the construction firm, which recently requested a six-to-eight-month extension. Both the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction have directed the project office to terminate the agreement if the upcoming deadline is missed.

“Regardless of past obstacles, the pace should have accelerated after 2023,” Ghimire said. “Retaining workers in such a high-risk area has been a challenge, but we are pressing the contractor for swift completion. If they fail this time, we will revoke the contract.”

The delay recently drew high-level government scrutiny. During a site inspection at the border, Home Minister Sudhan Gurung instructed the contractor to significantly scale up manpower and expedite construction.

Once operational, the facility will serve as a one-stop hub housing customs offices, immigration services, quarantine facilities, security agencies, inspection posts, and commercial banks under a single roof.

Photos: Prakash Chandra Timilsena/Nepal Photo Library