Motihari, Feb. 17: East Champaran district magistrate (DM) Jitendra Shrivastava has recommended the termination of the contract of Tantia Constructions Limited for failing to complete the construction of a 62km stretch of National Highway 28A within the deadline.

The DM has made the request through a letter to the state government and suggested that the pending part of the project be handed over to either the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or any other competent agency, which could complete the work in the shortest period.

NH-28A runs between Piprakothi and Raxaul. Raxaul is the border town on the India-Nepal border and most supplies to Nepal from the Indian side is routed through NH-28, which meets NH-28 at Piprakothi.

The company was assigned to complete the construction of the 62km stretch between Piprakothi and Raxaul by June 2014. Subsequently, on request, the company was given an extension of six months, which it failed to meet.

'Delay in road construction has inconvenienced residents as well as a large number of truckers and other vehicles which pass through this dilapidated stretch everyday,' said the magistrate-in-charge of general section, Madhusudan Prasad.

'The district administration is waiting for the government's reply in this regard,' said Madhusudan Prasad.

Sources indicated that the government would not take any decision in this regard in haste.

'We are seized with the issue but the construction company would be given the opportunity to represent its case before the department. In all likelihood, it would be given another extension for completing the work,' said a source.

He, however, made it clear that the departmental bosses would take the final call and the district administration would be informed accordingly.