Kathmandu, March 15: Government formation is expected within a week, yet the new ministers may find themselves without official residences.
The ministerial housing complex in Bhaisepati remains largely unusable after it was damaged during the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9, 2024. The older ministerial quarters in Pulchok are now occupied by Supreme Court judges, leaving the government without ready accommodation for the next cabinet.
Narayan Mainali, spokesperson for the Ministry of Urban Development, said the government has not finalized a housing plan for the incoming ministers. According to him, providing official residences immediately is not possible. For now, renting private houses appears to be the most realistic option.
The Bhaisepati complex has 27 residential blocks built for ministers and other senior office bearers. At present, only one block remains usable. Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Madhav Chaulagain is living there, while other ministers have been staying in rented homes. Officials say ministers who already own houses in Kathmandu could also remain in their own homes while receiving government security and facilities.
The government plans to rebuild the damaged residences so they can be used again in a few months. The Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office under the Ministry of Urban Development has completed the damage assessment and begun the reconstruction process. Officials estimate the rebuilding work will cost about Rs 110 million. Around Rs 6 million has already been spent on the detailed project report, damage evaluation, and consultancy.
Most blocks suffered heavy fire damage and will require significant repair before they can be used again. Only one block sustained minor damage. That unit had been occupied by then defense minister Manbir Rai. The rest of the buildings need reconstruction before ministers can move back in.
The Bhaisepati complex is now guarded by Nepal Police. Earlier, security was handled by the Nepal Army. Ministers from the KP Sharma Oli led government began moving into the complex in early June 2024 and all ministers had shifted there by September.
The government had signed a contract with KC Samantar JV in November 2019 to build the residences. Although the project was supposed to finish within two years, repeated extensions delayed construction. The overall cost eventually reached about Rs 3 billion.
Spread over nearly 96 ropanis of land, the complex includes 27 residential buildings along with shared facilities such as a gym, swimming pool, community hall, grocery shop, and housing for security staff. The new complex was built to replace the cramped ministerial residences in Pulchok.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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