Govt plans to relocate ministers' quarters to Bhaisepati

KATHMANDU, Oct 25: The government plans to relocate the ministers' quarters from Pulchowk to Bhaisepati, on land that was acquired for building living quarters for lawmakers.

The government acquired 123 ropani (76,819 square meters) of land at Bhaisepati 18 years ago , for building apartments for members of parliament .

The Ministry of Urban Development has been working on building designs for the residence area and the budget estimates, said Minister for Urban Development Mohammad Ishtiyaq Rayi.

The ministry plans to build guest houses for foreign delegates at Pulchowk after relocating the ministers' quarters . As there is not enough space at Pulchowk to accommodate all ministers, the government plans to relocate the quarters to Bhaisepati, said the minister.

The Pulchowk quarters comprise 19 buildings on 70 ropani of land. According to the ministry, six of the ministers have to live outside the quarters for lack of sufficient space.

“Ministers have to live in rented houses outside the ministers' quarters due to lack of space. We have also started work on building state guest houses for the chief ministers and governors of provinces in the premises of the ministers' quarters at Bhaisepati,” said Rayi.

Two ropani will be allotted for the quarters of the governor and chief minister of each province, and residences for the speaker, national assembly chairperson, deputy speaker and vice chairperson and all federal ministers will be build in the remaining area, said the minister.

“The federal government doesn't have any state guest house for heads of provinces during their visits to the capital. We are planning to build quarters for all the chief ministers and governors,” he added.

The ministry will table a proposal to transfer the land at Bhaisepati from the parliament secretariat to the ministry. The ministry is also mulling the allocation of land for apartments for lawmakers in a new smart city area in Bhaktapur.

New parliament building at Putali Bagaicha

Meanwhile, the Urban Development Ministry has accelerated work on a new parliament building at Putali Bagaicha in Singha Durbar. Parliament has been renting the International Convention Center at New Baneshwor for its meetings as the old parliament building was too small for the increased size of parliament and it was also severely damaged by earthquake.

“Construction of a new parliament building at Putali Bagaicha will start within this fiscal year. The Nepal Army camp in the area will be relocated near the Home Ministry,” said Rayi.

With the army's dilly-dallying over vacating the 151-ropani Putali Bagaicha, the construction of the parliament building was delayed even after the government allocated Rs 440 million for the purpose.

Following directions from Prime Minister K P Oli to complete the parliament building within two years, the ministry has expedited work on the design, the detailed project report and the tender process. The ministry estimates the cost of the construction at over Rs 10 billion.

The government has formed a committee for further study comprising joint secretaries from the Urban Development Ministry and the parliament secretariat and army representatives . “We will build the parliament hall with our own resources. The new building will have a two-story basement parking for 500 cars with entrances from both inside and outside of the Singha Durbar compound,” said Rayi Wednesday.

New buildings for prez office at police academy

The Ministry of Urban Development has started planning a new buildings for the president's office at the Nepal Police Academy at Maharajgunj, following a cabinet decision last month to transfer 114 ropani of police academy land to the president's office.

Space for according state honors to foreign heads of state or government as well as a guest house is also planned in the newly acquired area. The president's office and residence has 207 ropani. The government decided to expand the area , acquiring adjoining land from the police academy.