KATHMANDU, Jan 28: The government will need around Rs 110 million to rebuild the new ministerial residences in Bhaisepati that were constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 3 billion.
The Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office under the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has moved ahead with plans to reconstruct the damaged residences. According to Undersecretary Ronika Joshi at MoUD, reconstruction work is expected to begin from mid-February.
“We estimate that rebuilding 11 blocks will cost around Rs 110 million,” she said. “The cost per block may range from Rs 5 million to as much as Rs 15 million, depending on the extent of damage.”
She added that Rs 6 million will be spent on the detailed project report, damage assessment, and consultancy services. The Secretariat has already sought fund release from the Ministry of Finance for this purpose.
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Most of the blocks in the new ministerial quarters were damaged by fire during the Gen Z movement on September 9. Authorities have prepared reports stating that the buildings were set on fire and vandalized to the extent that they could not be used immediately.
Information officer Arun Bhujel said the process of compiling detailed damage assessments is now in its final stage. He noted that blocks that suffered heavy fire damage will not be rebuilt immediately, as they require more time, while blocks with minor damage will be repaired as quickly as possible.
Secretariat sources said the Bhaisepati ministerial residences are currently unusable due to arson and destruction. Of the 27 blocks built for ministers, only one block, previously occupied by then Minister for Defence Manbir Rai, suffered relatively less damage. Even that block has broken window panes and other minor damage, and can only be used after repairs.
During the Gen Z movement, 26 out of the 27 blocks were damaged. Nepal Police is currently providing security at the Bhaisepati complex. Earlier, the Nepal Army had been deployed there.
The Bhaisepati complex includes 27 residential blocks for ministers, one side office, a gym hall, a health club, and three rooms for security personnel. Ministers under the KP Sharma Oli-led government began moving into the residences from the third week of June 2024. By mid-September in the same year, all ministers had shifted there. Within a year, the new complex was devastated during the Gen Z movement.
The government had signed a contract with KC–Samanantar JV from mid-October to mid-November 2019 to build the residences, with a two-year completion deadline. Repeated deadline extensions delayed the project. The first phase was allocated Rs 1.03 billion, with additional budgets released each year. By completion, total spending had reached close to Rs 3 billion.
The Bhaisepati complex covers 96 ropani and 10 aana of land. Each building occupies about seven aana. The residences include facilities such as a gym, swimming pool, community building, grocery shop, and security quarters. Each building also has a yoga room, a visitor waiting area, a meeting room, private rooms, staff rooms, residential rooms, and a prayer room. The design reflects Nepali art, culture, and tradition.
The government built the new complex in Bhaisepati as the Pulchok ministerial residences were considered too cramped.
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