KATHMANDU, Nov 30: There is still uncertainty over where the first session of the newly elected House of Representatives will be held after the upcoming elections on March 5, 2026. During the Gen-Z protests, the old parliament building in Baneshwar was burned, and the new parliament building under construction inside the Singha Durbar complex may or may not be completed before March 5. If the new building is not ready, the government has not yet decided on an alternative venue for the first parliamentary session.
According to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, about 87 percent of the new building’s construction is complete. Department Director General Ravindra Bohara said the building could be finished within the next three months. “We are currently working in two shifts. No matter what, the building will be ready before March 5,” he said. “We have no other alternative.”
Bohara added that he has repeatedly urged the contractor to speed up the work. A few days ago, Urban Development Minister Kulman Ghising conducted an inspection of the under-construction parliament building and instructed the contractor to complete it in two shifts by March 5, 2026.
PM Oli walks out of federal parliament building without attendi...
However, a senior official at the department expressed doubts about achieving 100 percent completion by that date. “If the parliament session is to be held before the building is fully ready, it’s a different matter. Without any other options, work can proceed, but the likelihood of completing everything before March 5 is very low,” the official said.
Director General Bohara noted that finishing touches such as furnishings, security, and lighting are still pending. The Secretariat of Parliament has already canceled the lease agreement with the International Convention Center, previously used for parliamentary sessions since 2008 BS (1952 AD). The convention center was damaged during the September 9, 2023 protests and is now unusable. This leaves the government with no choice but to hold the first session of the newly elected parliament in the new building.
The Ministry of Urban Development had extended the construction deadline for the fifth time on June 26, 2023. Officials are now concerned about how to complete the building by January 1, 2026 (mid-Poush 2082 BS) to ensure the session can be held on March 5.
The parliament building project, started in 2019 AD by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has been delayed for six years due to repeated design changes, inadequate DPR studies, insufficient risk assessment, and delayed consultant work. After a variation order was approved in February 2024, the construction cost increased by Rs 5.6 billion.
A senior ministry official said, “The delays are mainly due to the government’s inability to strictly manage the contractor, inadequate pre-assessment of risks, and repeated design changes over time.”
