KATHMANDU, July 9: Nepal Academy of Music and Drama (NAMD) has prepared a proposal to build its own building on its vacant land. The academy has also decided not to make the land available to the private sector for commercial purposes. NAMD itself has decided to use the 15 ropanis of land registered in its name amidst efforts from various authorities to lease the land to a private trading company for 30 years for commercial purpose.

"The land will be transformed into forests instead, but I will not lease even an inch of the land of the academy to the private sector," said Nisha Sharma Pokharel, chancellor of NAMD, "We have submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation to construct our own building on the vacant land," she added. She said that various private institutions and organizations have tried to take the land of the academy on lease and one organization has even submitted an application. "It's not just a matter of submitting an application; there is a detailed process to obtain the land," Sharma stated.

She claimed that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, was unaware of any plans about leasing the land of the academy to the private sector. “There is no involvement of Minister Kirati in this matter; he does not know anything about it,” she said.

The application submitted by Imu properties Pvt Ltd to the academy on May 28 reads, "The aim is to build multi-purpose business infrastructure on the land of the Academy at Sano Gaucharan with the company's own investment and to provide the infrastructure to various service organizations for the convenience of the general public."

It also says, "We will provide an auditorium and a theater hall after the construction of the multi-purpose commercial complex. It will be operated for a period of 30 years, and after that, based on the need, the arrangement may be given continuity or the ownership of the infrastructure may be transferred to the academy." Sharma said that the academy had rejected the proposal submitted by Imu Properties Pvt Ltd.

According to sources at NAMD, the academy has planned to build two buildings on the 15-ropani vacant land. The officials of the academy are ready to build one building immediately with the money funded by Nepal government and seek help from international donor agencies to build another building. The academy estimates that it will cost around Rs 80 million to construct a building immediately.

At present, the NAMD does not have its own building. The office of the academy is located in a temporary building. "We have 15 ropanis of land in a busy location like Naxal. However, we are currently working from a temporary structure. The nature of our work demands a larger space. We need significant space to conduct music-related workshops, stage theater performances, and various other programs," Sharma stated. "But unfortunately, even for smaller internal events, we have to look for external venues," she added.

The main patrons of the academy established under the Nepal Music and Drama Academy Act 2064 BS are the Prime Minister and the Minister for Tourism. The office-bearers of the academy have also drawn the attention of the prime minister about the proposal prepared to construct the building. Sharma said that the Prime Minister and Tourism Minister had a positive response about the academy’s initiative to construct its own building.

A decision was made to register the land which is currently under the name of NAMD to Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Before the said land was legally transferred to NAFA, NAFA was dissolved. Then in 2068 BS, the land was brought under the ownership of NAMD. The land owned by Nepal Children’s Organization was provided to NAMD through a government decision.

 
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