Lumbini: The deadline for the construction of the most-awaited national pride project, Gautam Buddha International Airport, has been extended by three more months. The new deadline of the project is set for March 31, 2020.
The construction company, Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group, which had got responsibility to complete the construction by January 7, 2020, got three more months for completion as the company completed only 86 per cent of the construction works within the deadline.
Project Director, Pradeep Adhikari, said that the deadline of the construction company was extended at consensus of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as per the demand of the company.
The Chinese construction company had started construction on January 15, 2015 by promising to complete the project by June 2, 2017. But, it did not materialize citing many problems.
This is the fourth time that the deadline of the project was extended. A total of 625 families of the area have already been shifted after providing them with the compensations. Out of Rs 23.59 billion allocated by the government to distribute in compensation to the families affected by the airport, Rs 21 billion has already been distributed.
Adhikari said, “Ninety-three per cent compensation has already been distributed. Now, there is no problem. However, the deadline has been extended after the company failed to complete the works within deadline.” —
