Bagmati Province Government Prepares for Integrated Administrative Structure Construction

Makwanpur. The work of marking trees in the construction site is in full swing for the construction of the Bagmati Province Government's ministries and administrative structures in a single complex. After seven years of the formation of the provincial government, permission has been obtained to build its own permanent administrative building on the land of community forests in Hetauda-16 and 17, and the marking for tree felling has begun. As the provincial government has moved forward with the construction of an integrated administrative structure in Hetauda, the Division Forest Office Makwanpur has started the process of marking trees in the area. The provincial government has prepared to build an integrated administrative building, housing ministries, service centers, and some government residences in a single complex. Rakesh Chandra Wanshi, chief of the Division Forest Office Hetauda, informed that the process of clearing the forest area has begun after the provincial government obtained the right to use 31.2 hectares of national forest land in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-16 and 17 for the construction of administrative buildings. According to him, the area was made available to the provincial government for use as per the decision of the Council of Ministers meeting held on April 1, 2082 BS. Of this area, 27.57 hectares fall within the Ghyampe and Chure Kali community forest areas, while 3.45 hectares consist of school and public land. Chandra Wanshi stated that the Department of Forests has already granted permission to remove 5,226 trees and poles of various species in the area for building construction. He mentioned that the tree felling work will commence within 4-5 days after the marking is completed. The felled trees will be handed over to the respective community forest committees. According to the Environmental Impact Assessment of the provincial structure construction project, 5,244 trees will be cut during the construction, including 2,372 Sisau and 1,937 Khote Salla trees. It is estimated that approximately 1,643 cubic meters of timber and 1,642 cubic meters of firewood will be produced from the tree felling. Chandra Wanshi further informed that the agreement between the federal government's Department of Forests and Soil Conservation and the Bagmati Province Government regarding forest land use was finalized on Baishakh 28. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development formally signed the agreement with the department on Monday. The agreement was made in the presence of Engineer Chandra Dev Bhatta, chief of the Transport Infrastructure Directorate Hetauda, and Engineer Rajan Gautam of the Provincial Capital Infrastructure Development Special Project. The provincial government has already deposited the necessary amount in the Forest Development Fund for planting new saplings and conservation as compensation for the trees to be cut in the area to be used for land occupation. According to the ministry, 34.1 million rupees have been deposited in the Forest Development Fund for the felling of 5,226 trees. Ishwarchandra Marhattha, secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, stated that the construction work is targeted to begin within the current fiscal year. According to him, most of the coordination work with the federal government has been completed, and he expressed confidence that the work will proceed quickly once the provincial government bodies are involved. The site for the construction of the provincial government's administrative building is located about 11 kilometers east of Hetauda bazaar. This project, which has been stuck in legal procedures since 2076 BS, has entered the implementation phase after the decision of the federal cabinet. According to Secretary Marhattha, some technical modifications have been made to the old design due to changes in the national building code and the reduction in the number of ministries. "The agreement with the Department of Forests and the payment of the necessary fees have been completed," he said, "The work has been delayed due to procedural reasons. The construction of the structures will gain momentum along with the work of tree felling and land management." Even after seven years since the formation of the provincial government, most ministries have been operating from cramped government buildings and rented houses due to the lack of its own permanent administrative building. The plan is to house ministries, service centers, and some government residences in the integrated administrative structure that is about to be constructed. The ministry has stated that the design is in the final stages, with provisions for constructing some separate buildings as needed. The EIA has been prepared for the construction of 25 modern structures at the site, including the provincial chief minister's office, buildings for 10 ministries, the provincial assembly building, offices for security agencies, the Public Service Commission, the Policy and Planning Commission, banks, cafeterias, and a childcare center. The site for the construction of the provincial government's administrative building is located about 11 kilometers east of Hetauda bazaar. This project, which has been stuck in legal procedures since 2076 BS, has entered the implementation phase after the decision of the federal cabinet.