Kathmandu. As the date for the election of the members of the House of Representatives on March 21 is approaching, the new parliament building at Singha Durbar, which is under construction for the newly elected parliamentarians, is still not fully ready. According to government data, only 88 percent of the construction work has been completed so far. The parliament meeting has been held at the International Convention Centre in New Baneshwor since the past. But the building was vandalised and set on fire during the Gen-G movement, making it unlikely that parliament would reconvene there.
Preparations are underway to hold the upcoming parliament meeting in the new building under construction inside Singha Durbar. An agreement was signed with the contractor company on October 3, 2019 at a cost of Rs 5.02 billion to complete the project within three years. However, the deadline has been extended time and again as the work has not been completed even after the deadline has expired.
The responsibility for the construction has been given to the Special Building Project under the Ministry of Urban Development. The President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the National Assembly, Parliamentary Committee Chairpersons and departmental ministers have been directing the officials to complete the project as soon as possible.
However, there is no clear timeline for when the construction work will be completed. According to the Ministry of Urban Development, the new parliament building being constructed in the butterfly garden of Singha Durbar will have modern facilities. Necessary structures for holding parliamentary party offices, Parliament Secretariat, National Assembly and House of Representatives have been constructed in the building premises. The building has a separate entrance for VVIPs and a separate entrance for employees and the general public. The building houses the Parliament Secretariat on one side and the meeting room of the House of Representatives on the other. Behind the Secretariat and the House of Representatives will be the parliamentary party offices and the National Assembly chambers. The new building will have a 700-seater House of Representatives, including 400 seats in the main hall and 300 seats in the balcony.
The National Assembly has a 290-seat lobby and a 350-seat lobby. Likewise, the parliamentary party office and meeting room have been prepared for 10 political parties.
The VVIP chamber has been constructed for the Prime Minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly Chairperson and chief whips of political parties. The government had rented the International Convention Centre at New Baneshwor since 2064 BS to hold the parliament meetings. But after the arson of the building, the issue of where and how the next parliament meeting will be held has become the center of further concern.
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