Pappu Construction, currently under government scrutiny for failing to complete a large number of infrastructure projects within the prescribed deadlines, is all set to get another high profile contract.

The company’s quotation bidding for the contract to reconstruct Nepal Rastra Bank building in Baluwatar is the lowest. It is certain to win the contract when the authority opens the tender this Sunday, a source said.

Of the 12 companies bidding for the contract, SRBC Pappu JV has quoted the lowest amount of Rs2.06 billion to reconstruct the NRB building that was damaged by the earthquake on April 25, 2015, and subsequently demolished by the authority.

According to NRB sources, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) issued the tender to reconstruct the building in July this year.

“From selecting the consultant to calling tender, all works were done by the NRA,” said senior NRB official. “Our responsibilities are only of monitoring and managing the budget for reconstruction.”

A senior official at the NRA confirmed the SRBC Pappu JV has quoted the lowest amount. “We are currently evaluating the bid,” said the official.

While officials from both NRA and NRB said the company has a poor record, they said contract would go to the lowest bidder providing all his documents comply with the legal provisions. “While evaluating the bid, we look at the papers submitted by the contractors.”

Whether the bidder has the capacity to do further work, is examined during the technical evaluation process. Pappu is one of the 12 bidders that had passed technical evaluation, according to NRB.

NRB Deputy Governor Chintamani Siwakoti said, “The bidder that has passed the technical evaluation and has quoted the lowest price is entitled to get contract as per the law.”

Being the lowest bidder, Papp Construction is confident no one could deny it the contract.

Pappu Construction founder, and lawmaker at the House of Representatives from Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum-Nepal, Hari Narayan Rauniyar said, “As per the law, nobody can deny us the contract of this project.”

After the contract is signed, the NRB aims to build the project within 30 months. The building should conform to old building as per the design.

There are doubts whether the contractor would be able to complete the project as scheduled, given its poor record of other projects and accumulation of projects in its hands.

Rauniyar vowed to complete this project within 24 months. “It is not difficult to construct buildings compared to bridges and roads. The contractor should not face strikes, lack of construction materials and frequent change in designs in building,” he said.

The government recently launched a probe on Pappu Construction after five people died when a boat ferrying 29 people hit a pillar of the bridge under construction at Lalbakaiya River in Rautahat last month.