KATHMANDU, March 7: The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction is preparing the assembly hall overnight to host the first session of the upcoming House of Representatives.
After Thursday’s House of Representatives election, the government is obliged to have the hall ready before convening the first session under any circumstances. The Ministry of Urban Development has assigned this responsibility to the Building Construction Department. According to the department’s Director General, Ravindra Bohara, work is ongoing inside the Singha Durbar complex to prepare one of the main assembly halls of the parliament building, even if it requires overnight work.
“Currently, contractors are working round the clock. We are monitoring the work daily. Before convening the first session of the House, we are obligated to have the main hall ready under any circumstances,” said Bohara. “At least one main hall and a VIP room will be ready before the session.”
The government is constructing the parliament building inside the Singha Durbar complex with an investment of nearly NPR 5 billion. A senior ministry official stated that it would be inappropriate to seek another hall for the first session while spending such a large amount on the new building. The official said that the building department is currently constructing 12 blocks to accommodate meetings of both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly simultaneously. “Our plan is to construct at least one large hall, and this plan will be completed,” the official added.
Helipad to be constructed inside Singha Durbar
According to the official, one hall will be ready by the first week of Chaitra, while construction on other blocks will gradually continue over the next six months to a year.
Director General Bohara stated that the department has not considered alternatives if the hall is not ready before the session. “We have no other option. The hall must be ready under any circumstances.” Following the elections on March 5, the first parliamentary session is expected to be held by the third week of March. Secretariat staff are concerned whether the new parliament building and other preparations will be completed by then.
According to sources in the Ministry of Urban Development, Minister Kumar Ingnam has shown keen interest in the ongoing construction of the new parliament building inside the Singha Durbar complex. The minister has made repeated surprise visits to the construction site.
During these visits, he has instructed contractors to complete the work on time. The ministry source said that Minister Ingnam has directed the department to report daily on the progress of construction. The department has informed the Chief Secretary and the parliamentary secretariat that the assembly hall and VIP room in the new building will be ready by the third week of March.
On March 5, the parliamentary secretariat had written to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers requesting that the necessary arrangements—including the hall, officers, secretariat staff offices, parliamentary party offices, and all audio-visual and IT infrastructure—be ready immediately after the elections to hold the session. Following this, the PM’s Office inquired with officials from the Ministry of Urban Development. The department formally confirmed that one main hall and one VIP room will be ready by the third week of March..
Bohara said, “To convene the parliament session, a main hall and an additional room for the Prime Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and opposition leaders as VIPs will be ready by the first week of Chaitra. The contractor is working even at night, and we are urging them to speed up.” According to him, the sound system required for the hall has arrived, and chairs are being brought in. “All work can be completed within one and a half months,” he said.
The old parliament building in Banasthali was damaged during the Jan–Ji movement on September 8 and 9. The parliamentary secretariat is closely monitoring the new building. In a letter to the Chief Secretary, Deputy Secretary Babita Mishra wrote that after the House of Representatives elections on March 5, the session must be held immediately, and the necessary infrastructure—including the assembly hall, officers’ offices, parliamentary party offices, and audio-visual and IT equipment—must be ready.
According to Bohara, over 90 percent of the new parliament building construction is complete. “The contractor is currently employing 375–380 workers daily. We have been assured that work will be completed by the third week of March,” said a senior official at the Ministry of Urban Development. “Even if the entire building is not fully complete, our priority is to have the main hall ready for the session. Other construction will continue afterward.”
The former Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, laid the foundation stone for the new parliament building on September 18, 2019. In February 2024, after approval of a Variation Order (VO) by the department, an additional Rs 560 million was allocated for the construction.
A senior ministry official stated, “One reason the parliament building could not be completed on time was the government’s inability to strictly supervise the contractor. Additionally, insufficient study of the DPR (Detailed Project Report), inadequate assessment of future risks and challenges, and delaying consultants’ work contributed to the delay. Repeated design changes also slowed construction.”
