Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal has come under criticism after publicly instructing officials to “break the legs” of a contractor for not doing their work.
During an inspection of the Nagdhunga–Mugling road project on Sunday, Lamsal gave instructions to “break the legs” of a contract who had not relocated electricity poles.
The ministry’s Secretary Gopal Prasad Sigdel, Dhading’s Chief District Officer Laxmi Pandey, and Superintendent of Police Sumit Khadka were present when he issued the directive.
A video of the minister’s directive has since gone viral on social media.
"Where is the contractor responsible for these electricity poles? Where on earth are they? Bring them here. Keep them here; don't send them home. If they don't do the work, break their legs – it doesn't matter," the minister says in the video. "They must move the poles as soon as possible. The public here has suffered a lot. They must be made to work properly."
Minister Lamsal is facing intense criticism for making such remarks while holding a responsible position.
Dhading CDO Pandey defended the minister, saying he instructed officials to ensure timely completion of the work.
“He had come for an inspection yesterday, and our District Security Committee team was also present. During the visit, he directed that there should be no delays in the work,” Pandey said.
Chief Divisional Engineer Sajana Adhikari, chief of the Nagdhunga-Mugling Road Project (Western Section), said that the Department of Roads and the Nepal Electricity Authority had signed an agreement three years ago to relocate the electricity poles.
“The Nepal Electricity Authority was supposed to relocate the electricity poles. The authority had even awarded a contract, but the contractor has not yet relocated the poles. We currently have no space to work on the road. It has become difficult since the poles have not been moved," she said.
She added that 107 poles remain to be moved on the western section, and over 80 on the eastern section.
According to Adhikari, 107 poles remain to be relocated in the western section of the project, while more than 80 poles are yet to be moved in the eastern section.
Lamsal returned to Kathmandu after conducting inspections on Sunday.
The minister previously landed in controversy over his action against contractors. At the time, he directed a police team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office to detain contractors Ramesh Sharma and Pitambar Badu. The two were taken into custody and brought to the ministry on Lamsal’s instruction before being released later.
Prime Minister Balen Shah had also used similar rhetoric during an election rally in Dhangadhi on February 18, stating that contractors who fail to do their work should be "tied to a tree, laid on the road, or thrown into a cage."
"The poor who do not have money in their pockets must get education; that is our agenda. The poor must get healthcare; that is our agenda. A road that should be built in two years does not get built even in 20 years. That must be built in one and a half years; that is our agenda. The road must be built, even if they need to be tied to a tree, laid on the road, or thrown into a cage,," Shah said at the time.
