Bagmati Province Government Resumes Normal Operations Following Reconstruction of Damaged Infrastructure

Hetauda. The Bagmati Province government, which suffered damages exceeding 1 billion rupees due to the Gen-Z movement, has begun returning to its normal rhythm.

The government's return to normalcy follows the completion of reconstruction work on provincial government structures that were damaged by arson and vandalism during the protests.

With the repair and reconstruction of the damaged buildings completed, Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya handed over the ministry buildings during a program on Monday. Through the Urban Development and Building Office in Hetauda, the reconstruction of five buildings—including the complex housing five ministries, the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, and the Chief Secretary's residence—has been completed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law building was brought into operation after minor repairs.

Addressing the building handover ceremony, Chief Minister Baniya stated that among the seven provinces, Bagmati Province was the first to complete the reconstruction of damaged buildings. He informed that following the management of damages, the ministries are in the process of relocating to resume work in their original state.

He noted that service delivery had been taking place under makeshift and difficult conditions for a long time after the physical infrastructure suffered significant damage during the protests. He expressed confidence that the completion of the reconstruction would facilitate the government's performance.

Minister of Physical Infrastructure Development Dr. Dinesh Chandra Devkota stated that structural safety was given special priority during the reconstruction. He informed that since the iron rods in the pillars and beams had melted due to arson, weakening the structures, a team of experts and structural engineers from Pulchowk Campus was brought in to conduct a study.

According to Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development Ishwor Chandra Marahatta, Bagmati Province suffered a total loss of over 1 billion rupees during the protests, of which 840 million rupees was in building damages alone.

According to Secretary Marahatta, although there was a provision for direct procurement during emergency situations, the work was carried out procedurally by publishing a 30-day notice in accordance with the Public Procurement Act to ensure transparency.

Chief of the Urban Development and Building Office, Hetauda, Bhupendra Yadav, informed that a total contract of 39.5 million rupees was signed for the reconstruction of five structures, including the five ministry buildings. He stated that while the reconstruction of the building housing five ministries was estimated to cost 18.4 million rupees, Satgun Construction signed the contract for 12.8 million rupees and completed the work. He noted that the contractor completed quality work within a short period of the agreement.

To date, work on four buildings, including the ministry building, the Chief Secretary's residence, and the Ministry of Cooperatives, has been completed and handed over, while the repair work on the Provincial Secretariat building is in the final stages.

 During the reconstruction, in addition to retrofitting, plastering, painting, window-door repairs, and painting work were carried out. Furthermore, the installation of new lifts, transformers, AC units, and the laying of tiles and granite have also been completed.