KATHMANDU, Feb 3: The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) has assured the Chief Secretary and the Federal Parliament Secretariat that the main meeting hall and VIP rooms of the new parliament building will be ready by the third week of March.
According to Director General Rabindra Bohara at the DUDBC, senior officials personally met top Parliament Secretariat officials to convey the timeline. The Secretariat had earlier written to the Chief Secretary, requesting arrangements to hold a parliamentary session immediately after the March 5 House of Representatives election. Following this, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers sought clarification from Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).
“In any case, we will ensure that at least one main hall for parliamentary meetings and VIP rooms for the Prime Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, opposition leaders, and other dignitaries are ready by the third week of March,” Bohara said. “The contractor is even working at night, and we are constantly pushing for faster completion.”
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Equipment for the sound system has already arrived, and chairs are being procured. “All remaining work should be finished within the next one to one-and-a-half months,” he added.
The urgency follows the old parliament building at New Baneshwor being damaged during the Gen Z movement in September. With construction ongoing, the Secretariat has expressed concern about having an appropriate venue for parliamentary sessions.
Currently, over 90% of the construction is complete, with 375–380 workers deployed daily. Even if the building is not entirely finished, priority will be given to preparing the main hall for parliamentary meetings, while other work continues. Interior decoration, security installations, and lighting are underway.
“The parliament cannot remain without a meeting hall,” Bohara emphasized. “One way or another, the work must be completed within the stipulated timeframe.”
The Secretariat has already canceled its rental agreement with the International Convention Center, which was also damaged during the Gen Z movement, leaving the new building as the only option for convening the first session of the newly elected parliament.
Construction began six years ago, with former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli laying the foundation stone on September 18, 2019. After a variation order in March 2024, costs rose by Rs 560 million. Delays have been attributed to insufficient enforcement of contractual obligations, inadequate DPR study, consultant delays, frequent design changes, and poor assessment of risks and challenges.
