Repair work underway for Sudurpaschim Provincial assembly building

Dhangadhi: The Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly building, which sustained damage during the Genji movement, is currently undergoing repair.

As immediate spending of a large budget was hindered by legal procedures, the Provincial Assembly Secretariat has initiated essential repair work to resume assembly meetings soon. Secretary Dev Bahadur Bogati stated that painting, cleaning and wiring of the assembly hall are being carried out.

According to Bogati, the ceiling above the assembly building will be repaired by the Federal Urban Development and Building Construction Office. The building had suffered damage from arson and vandalism by Genji protesters, although the rostrum, some chairs and tables inside the meeting hall remain intact. He added that arrangements have been made to manage the shortage of chairs and tables.

Additionally, donor agencies UNDP and UNFPA are providing technical equipment for the audio-video live broadcast of assembly meetings. Around Rs 4.3 million worth of technical materials will be supplied for this purpose. The Urban Development Department has estimated that the repair cost of the assembly building, excluding technical materials, will be Rs 2.9 million.

However, to avoid delays caused by the tender process, the repair work is being conducted through quotations. Secretary Bogati clarified that this approach was taken as legal obstacles prevented the immediate use of a larger budget. Meanwhile, the Provincial Assembly Secretariat has informed that the repair work will not be completed within the month of Kartik, and the assembly meeting will resume only after the repairs are finished.