KATHMANDU, Sept 9: A year after the Gen Z protests left the old Parliament building, the International Convention Centre in New Baneshwor, badly damaged by vandalism and arson, still lies in ruins. No repair or reconstruction work has been carried out. Instead, vehicles burnt during the protests have been dumped at the site.
Why the old Parliament building has not been repaired has become a matter of public concern. Built by the Chinese government, the building was used for Constituent Assembly and parliamentary meetings from 2008 until the Gen Z protests.
According to Prakash Aryal, deputy director general of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction under the Ministry of Urban Development, the structural drawings of the building have not been found. The drawings, prepared by the Chinese government, were also destroyed in the fire. The building itself was constructed by China.
Aryal said the building suffered such extensive damage that it can no longer be repaired or retrofitted.
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“The building now has to be reconstructed from the foundation. Almost all of its structures were destroyed during the Gen Z protests, and the remaining structures are also very weak,” Aryal said. “Only a small portion at the front may still be usable. Our technical team has reported that the rest must be demolished and rebuilt from the foundation.”
Reconstruction requires the original structural drawings, but the government cannot rebuild the building in its original form without them. Aryal said the department had written to the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking the drawings, but had received no response.
“We have not yet decided how to proceed if the original drawings cannot be found,” he said, adding that it was unclear whether China itself still had copies.
A department official said the government had also failed to decide whether it would need to consult the Chinese government if the building were demolished and reconstructed according to a new design.
Reconstruction is unlikely to begin this fiscal year because the government has allocated no budget for the project.
The government had established the Special Structures Operation and Management Committee to oversee six important national structures, including the old Parliament building, before the Gen Z protests. The committee remains active, and employees hired to operate and manage the old Parliament building are still on the payroll. They currently report to work, mark their attendance and leave.
Built in 1993, the building was once considered a prestigious national structure. After the Constituent Assembly election, the Parliament Secretariat began using it in 2008 by paying annual rent of Rs 180 million. Constituent Assembly and parliamentary meetings were held there until the Gen Z protesters set it on fire, after which the Parliament Secretariat cancelled its rental agreement.
There have also been discussions about turning the building into a museum reflecting the Gen Z movement, but no decision has been made.
The building occupies 153 ropanis of land at New Baneshwor Chowk. Its main hall could accommodate about 2,000 people, while other halls had capacities of 200 to 250. Although parts of the front still appear intact, the interior remains severely damaged. Rooms, wooden structures and staircases were all burnt in the fire.
