BAJANI, March 22 -- Over a decade into construction, the national pride Rani-Jamara-Kulariya irrigation project has been moving forward slower than a snail. It has reached the completion of only less than 50 percent construction when the deadline nears expiry. The deadline will expire in the next fiscal year, 2023/24. The project funded by the World Bank aims to irrigate a total of 38,300 hectares of land.

The Rani side has seen only 18 percent progress while 20 percent has been over in the Gulariya part, said the project engineer Prem Lasiwa. Similarly, 65 percent work has been completed in Jamara.

He blamed the contractors for the delay. "Construction work started simultaneously in all three parts. But, the contractors have failed to ...