Reconstruction of Government Buildings Damaged in Protests Underway
Kathmandu. The reconstruction of the country's main administrative structures and residences of specific officials, which caught fire during the Genji movement, is underway in various stages.
The fire during the movement caused significant damage to the country's main administrative center Singha Durbar, ministerial residences, the President's Office (Shital Niwas), and the Supreme Court buildings. A year after the fire, structures with minor damage have been repaired and are back in operation, while the reconstruction and repair of major structures with extensive damage are ongoing. Some have not yet entered the construction phase.
The Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office is leading this reconstruction campaign. According to the office's information officer and engineer Arun Bhujel, work is progressing based on priority after collecting details of the damage to the residences of specific and highly specific officials, government agencies within the Singha Durbar complex, and constitutional bodies.
“We have repaired and brought back into operation the buildings that could be repaired and operated immediately. However, for buildings that suffered major damage, it took some time because a 'detailed damage assessment' (DDA) was required,” informed Engineer Bhujel.
According to him, some buildings are in the final stages of construction, while some historically important buildings are still in the study and bidding process stages.
Ministerial Residence Reconstruction Costing 38 Crores
The government has given high priority to the reconstruction of the ministerial residence in Bhainsepati, Lalitpur, which was among the most affected by the fire. 27 buildings there were damaged. To facilitate the reconstruction of these buildings, the office has signed contracts in three separate phases.
According to information officer Bhujel, the reconstruction of 11 buildings in the first phase was targeted to be completed by the end of Asar. “Among the buildings in the first phase, the external construction of 4-5 buildings is complete and the interior decoration work is underway, while work is progressing rapidly in the remaining buildings,” he said. The office has adopted a policy of handing over the interior work of buildings as soon as they are completed to the ministers.
In terms of budget, the reconstruction of ministerial residences is costing the state millions of rupees. This work is not limited to the budget of the last financial year but has moved forward as a multi-year plan. A contract worth approximately 8 crore 60 lakh rupees was signed for the first phase of construction.
Similarly, contracts worth approximately 15/15 crore rupees have been signed for the second and third phases, and work is progressing, Bhujel informed. Overall, it is estimated that approximately 38 crore 60 lakh rupees will be spent on the reconstruction and interior work of the ministerial residences.
Inside Singha Durbar: Reconstruction of Home Ministry and 'West Lounge' Not Started
Various ministries inside Singha Durbar, the country's central administrative hub, were also damaged during the Genji movement. According to Engineer Bhujel, the repair of ministries with minor damage inside Singha Durbar has been almost completed.
“The reconstruction of the budget division of the Ministry of Finance has been completed. Since there was not much damage to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the work there has also been completed, and the building of the Ministry of Education is almost complete,” he clarified.
Construction work is ongoing in the main block, which currently houses the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers' Office. However, the reconstruction of the historic 'West Lounge' (Western Lounge) of Singha Durbar has not yet begun. The West Lounge suffered severe damage from the fire. This building is of historical and archaeological importance, so its reconstruction is not as straightforward as that of ordinary buildings. Bhujel said, “The West Lounge has suffered a lot of damage. Its reconstruction requires strict coordination with the Department of Archaeology. Therefore, it took a long time to conduct its detailed damage assessment.”
He also stated that the reconstruction of the Home Ministry building is still pending. The building of the Department of Roads in Babar Mahal, which was damaged in the fire, does not fall under the purview of his office (Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office), Bhujel clarified. The reconstruction of that building is being handled by the Urban Development and Building Construction Department.
Shital Niwas Main Building Still in Cost Estimation Stage
Shital Niwas (President's Office), the residence of the Head of State, was also damaged during the movement. However, even after so much time has passed since the incident, the reconstruction of the main building has not gained momentum. According to information officer Bhujel, the construction and repair of small blocks within the Shital Niwas complex (where there was minor damage) have been completed. The reconstruction of an important conference hall there is also nearing completion. However, the main building of Shital Niwas, which bore the brunt of the fire, has not yet entered the bidding process.
“We are currently in the stage of preparing the cost estimation for the reconstruction of the main building. Since this is a historical and highly specific structure, it has taken time to finalize its design and cost. The bidding process will begin only after the cost estimate is approved,” Bhujel clarified.
Building Construction Department Completes Reconstruction of 128 Buildings, 30 Under Construction
Similarly, the Urban Development and Building Construction Department has also intensified the repair and reconstruction of damaged government structures and buildings. The department is currently reconstructing buildings under the federal government only.
According to Prakash Aryal, Deputy Director General of the Urban Development and Building Construction Department, the department is reconstructing structures including the Department of Roads, District Courts, and the Parliament Building (BICC) conference hall in Baneshwor.
According to the department, the repair of 105 government buildings that sustained minor damage last year and received a 'green sticker' has been completed. Similarly, 23 buildings that were unsafe and risky (received red and yellow stickers) have been reconstructed, and 30 buildings are currently under construction. Among the buildings under construction are two buildings of the Department of Building Construction itself, which were damaged.
Deputy Director General Aryal stated that the detailed project report (DPR) for 24 buildings outside Kathmandu that need to be demolished and rebuilt is being prepared, and construction will begin this year. The department also informed that the DPR for the damaged building of the Department of Roads will be completed by the month of Saun. The first phase of construction of the Kathmandu District Court is currently underway in the Kathmandu Valley.
International Convention Center to be Demolished and Rebuilt
The International Convention Center in New Baneshwor has been found to be unusable even with retrofitting. According to Deputy Director General Aryal of the department, since the study showed that retrofitting is not feasible, preparations are being made to demolish the building.
“It has been found that the ICC cannot be retrofitted. We are currently discussing whether to demolish it and reconstruct it in the old style or build a new structure,” said Deputy Director General Aryal.
Similarly, the department has stated that the design for the reconstruction of the damaged Godawari conference hall has been completed. Preparations are underway to tender the project soon after reviewing the design. Informing that the estimation is being updated according to district rates, Aryal stated that the cost of constructing the Godawari conference hall is estimated to be more than 50 crore rupees. The department stated that the Butwal conference hall was not damaged at all.
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
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