Way paved for model district headquarters construction

By Bomlal Giri,Nawalpur, Oct. 26: The tree-cutting process at the site of the model headquarters, set to be constructed in Kawaswoti, Nawalpur, has been simplified.

A procedural letter from the Ministry of Urban Development to the Ministry of Forests and Environment has made it easier for the ministry to proceed with a decision.

Dilip Bhandari, head of the Ministry’s Building, Housing, and Planning Division, stated that a decision was made at the secretary level on October 23, after which a request letter was sent to the Ministry of Forest to cut trees.

On October 2, the Ministry of Forest and Environment requested a letter from the Ministry of Urban Development to remove trees from the Jyoti Kunj Community Forest Area, the planned site for the model headquarters, as National Housing Company Limited owns the land.

The Ministry of Forest has not yet made a decision. The construction site contains 642 trees, including 552 large and 90 small trees. 

Basanta Keshab Adhikari, Head of the Division Forest Office in Nawalpur, stated that the process of removing trees at the site has been conducted according to set standards and that trees would be cut down once the ministry makes its decision.

Since the construction site land is owned by the National Housing Company Limited, the Ministry of Forest and Environment is legally permitted to remove trees in the forested area designated for public works, resettlement or similar residential projects, as outlined in the Government Tree Removal Standard 2071, upon request from the Ministry of Forestry and Environment.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Forest requested an official request letter from the Ministry of Urban Development.

The Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Forest will request authorisation to clear and remove trees in accordance with Point 5 of the Government Tree Removal Standard 2071, as requested by the Ministry of Forest.

Bishnu Kumar Karki, a House of Representatives member from Nawalpur-2, said that once approval to remove trees is granted, the Division Office will proceed with clearing the trees, accelerating the construction of the model headquarters.

MP Karki mentioned that the Ministry of Forest was delaying in providing evidence regarding the process and government under which the forest land was acquired. 

He noted that the Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, has assured that there would be no obstacles to progressing the work.

Although the contract for constructing a model headquarters on 186 bighas of land within the Jyoti Kunj Community Forest in Kawasoti-3 has been signed, work has not commenced due to the pending approval for tree clearance.

The Urban Development and Building Project Office in Chitwan has awarded a contract to Chaudhary Construction of Rautahat for the construction of the district administration office and two integrated buildings in the first phase.

The master plan for the construction of the model headquarters includes the establishment of offices, parking areas, gardens, a football stadium with a capacity to hold 25,000 audiences, a cricket stadium with a capacity to hold 15,000 onlookers, employee accommodation, a guest house, a meeting hall, a library, canteen and other facilities.

The initial master plan estimates the total cost of the project at over Rs. 16.25 billion. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli laid the foundation stone for the model headquarters on April 20, 2019.