Four ministers opt not to move into ministerial quarters

Published On: August 4, 2024 08:27 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Aug 4: Federal ministers are entitled to government-provided residences (ministerial quarters), but currently, four ministers are not availing themselves of this perk. According to the Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh, Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari, and Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Deepak Khadka will continue to live in their private residents. Their aides have confirmed this information, stating that the ministers have opted not to use the ministerial quarters as their private residences are well-equipped.

Ministers who do not use ministerial quarters are entitled to a monthly house rent allowance of Rs 40,000 and are also provided with residence maintenance allowances. However, according to sources from the Federal Secretariat, no bills for house rent or maintenance have been submitted so far.

Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s aide, Sewak Pokhrel, mentioned that they do not request payment from the government for house rent. “We do not submit bills for rent,” he said. Minister Khadka resides in his private home in Budhanilkantha.

Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh has his own residence in Thamel, Chaksibari. Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba lives in Budhanilkantha, and Labor Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari stays in his private residence in Bhaisepati. Ministers have started moving into the new quarters under construction in Bhaisepati, although the new ministerial quarters have not yet been formally inaugurated.

Two members of the previous Council of Ministers moved into the government-provided residence in Bhaisepati during the first week of Asar (mid-June). On June 15, the then health minister Pradeep Yadav and the then forest and environment minister Nawal Kishor Sah relocated themselves to Bhaisepati. However, within three weeks of moving into the new ministerial quarters, they resigned from their positions. In the new government led by KP Sharma Oli, Sah and Yadav have also been appointed as ministers. Sah is the Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, while Yadav is the Minister for Drinking Water.

Therefore, they did not have to vacate the government-provided residence in Bhaisepati. Last week, Minister for Physical Infrastructure Devendra Dahal moved from the old ministerial quarters in Pulchowk to the new residence in Bhaisepati. Dahal, who had been residing in Block C-1 of the Pulchowk ministerial quarters, was relocated overnight to Bhaisepati after rainwater entered the residence. Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel and National Assembly Vice Chairwomen Bimala Ghimire have also moved into the new government-provided residence in Bhaisepati.

Macha Kaji Maharjan, Project Director of the Special Building Construction Project, stated that preparations are underway to relocate all ministerial quarters in Pulchowk to Bhaisepati by mid-August. He mentioned that nearly all necessary work for the Bhaisepati residence has been completed.

According to Maharjan, current tasks at Bhaisepati include cleaning, garden construction, and managing rooms for security personnel. Once all the ministers are relocated to Bhaisepati, the Special Building Project will prepare for an official inauguration.

The inauguration is expected to be performed by Prime Minister Oli, who had laid the foundation stone of the project five years ago. In September 2019, the government signed an agreement with KC Sammanatar JV for the construction of the ministerial residence in Bhaisepati. The contract stipulated completion within two years. However, due to repeated extensions, the construction period was extended. The Special Building Project has indicated that the final phase of the work is now nearly complete.

For the first phase of the project, the government allocated Rs 1.347 billion. Subsequently, the government has been allocating a budget each year. So far, about Rs 3 billion has been spent on the entire project. The Bhaisepati residence will accommodate federal government ministers, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. A total of 27 separate buildings have been constructed for this purpose.

The area of the ministerial quarters in Bhaisepati is 96 ropanis and 10 annas. Each building covers around 7 annas of land. According to the Special Building Construction Project, the ministerial quarters include facilities such as a gym, a swimming pool, a community hall, a grocery store, and quarters for security personnel. Additionally, a yoga room has been constructed on the top floor of each building.

Each building also includes a visitor waiting room, a meeting room, a private office, and quarters for personal secretaries on the ground floor. The second floor is designated for residential rooms, and each building has a prayer room. The ministerial residence in Bhaisepati is designed to reflect Nepali art, culture, and traditions. The government decided to build a new residence in Bhaisepati because the existing ministerial residence in Pulchowk was too narrow. The government is preparing to provide the Pulchowk ministers’ quarters for Supreme Court justices after all ministers move into their new government-provided residences at Bhaisepati.