Kathmandu, January 4
The government has stopped the construction of a restaurant inside the Narayanhiti Durbar
Museum for the time being. Following the directive of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Narayanhiti Durbar Museum and Republic Monument Management and
Operations Committee has written a letter to the B Management Company under Batas
Organization instructing them to stop the construction work immediately.
”As the media reports have caused controversy, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has been informed to suspend the construction work until further notice,” the letter said.
Bhesnarayan Dahal, executive director of the committee, said that the company was asked to stop the work by cutting the letter after the ministry instructed to stop the work. According to ministry sources, Tourism Minister Prem Ale had instructed the committee to stop the work in an opaque manner.
After getting the land at cheap rent, various concrete structures are being illegally constructed and added for the restaurant inside the Durbar Museum premises (west side from the gate). The work of putting shutters in the new building has been going on since the decoration of the building. The committee has stopped the work after the Ministry of Tourism expressed interest in the construction of a garden by adding various structures in the palace premises against the law.
The committee, which had tendered only the building area of the restaurant, has now allowed the construction of the structure to allow the use of additional area as well. Maps of structures have not been passed.
The Narayanhiti Durbar Museum and the Republic Monument Management and Operations
Committee have not sought permission from the Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation to add structures inside the palace. According to the law, if the building is constructed without passing the map or without the approval of the approved map, if the building is constructed without passing the map, up to Rs. Five lakh or there is a legal provision to order the demolition of any part of it.
So far, the committee itself is not aware of the area in which Batas Organization operates
restaurants. The ministry had instructed to stop the work saying that the process was seen as opaque even though the committee had tendered the land in a transparent manner but the area where tables and chairs would be located would be measured and rent would be
collected.
An agreement has been reached with the company, which is about to use the restaurant in an area of 10 ropanis, to take Rs 2.5 lakh monthly. The committee claims that additional charges will be levied for using the vacant area.
Accordingly, the land in Narayanhiti can be rented for Rs 50,000 per month. This fare is very cheap in the area of Durbar Marg where vacant land and shutters are not available.
By Karuna Thapa
