KATHMANDU, Oct 16: The deadline for the construction of the new building of the Federal Parliament, which is going to be built inside Singha Durbar, is going to be extended for a third time.
Since the construction was not completed even during the second extension of the deadline, it was decided that the deadline would be extended again. According to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, only 75 percent of the building construction work has been completed so far. The last deadline for completing its construction expired on October 6.
The contractor had made a commitment to complete all construction work within that date. But even after that, after the work was not completed, the deadline was extended for a third time.
"After the work was not completed on time, the contractor company Tunditech Joint Venture Company has proposed to extend the deadline for a third time," said Machakaji Maharjan, Deputy Director General of the Department, "The contractor company has proposed to extend the deadline by one year. We said we couldn’t extend it by a year so we have extended the deadline for a maximum of six months.”
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He said that it is certain that the deadline will be extended for a third time. "When the work is not completed within the specified date, the deadline must be extended. But we are studying on how long the deadline should be extended for," he said.
The government started building a new building for the Federal Parliament four years ago. However, the construction work is very slow, which means that it is certain that the new parliament building will not be built even before the coming winter session. “Our goal is to prepare the new parliament building before the winter session. Accordingly, we have instructed the contractor company,” said Maharjan, “Even if the construction is completed before the winter session, only the necessary infrastructure for the session will be prepared. All the work cannot be completed.” According to Maharjan, even though the contractor company works rapidly, only five of the 12 new buildings will be constructed before the winter session. He said that it will take more time to construct the rest of the buildings.
The contractor company has proceeded with the building construction work at a snail's pace. But the government has not been able to take action against the contractor company. Instead of taking action against the contractor, the government has repeatedly extended the deadline. In this June, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Urban Development Minister Sita Gurung observed and instructed to complete all the construction work before the upcoming winter session. Even though the contractor has violated the instructions of the Prime Minister, the government has remained silent.
During the tenure of the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, a formal agreement was signed for the construction of a new building of the Federal Parliament on 3 October 2019 at a cost of five billion and three million rupees. Before that, in September 2019, the then Prime Minister Oli laid the foundation stone of the new building. As the deadline has been repeatedly extended, its construction cost has also increased. According to Maharjan, it is estimated that it will cost seven and a half billion rupees to complete all the construction work. Tunditech JV Joint Venture has taken the contract for building construction and KC Shyamsundar Baniya Company for interior decoration.
Since parliament does not have its own building, since 2007, the government has been using the International Conference Center at New Baneshwar on rent. The government was preparing to hold the new session of the Federal Parliament after the 2022 election in a new building. But the government's target could not be fulfilled due to the slow pace of building construction.
According to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, the under-construction building will house the offices of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, the committees of the federal parliament. In that structure, 12 buildings are being constructed to house the offices of the parliamentary parties of various parties. Similarly, the ministry said that grand structures are being constructed to make the area around the four gates and buildings beautiful. According to the Department of Urban Development, 400 people will be able to fit in the newly constructed hall of the House of Representatives. Likewise, a structure has been built to accommodate a total of 700 people altogether. The National Assembly hall will be able to accommodate 90 people and 200 people can be accommodated in the balcony.
The joint lobby of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly will accommodate 350 people. Likewise, there will be 17 parliamentary committee halls in that area. Each hall will accommodate 60 people. A hundred people will fit in one hall.
Likewise, there will be four separate working rooms with a capacity of 25 people for the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chief Whip, etc. Similarly, four Parliament Secretariat buildings are being constructed. Likewise, a canteen with a capacity of 200 on the ground floor and 300 on the first floor will be constructed.
