Will Kathmandu Metropolis Demolish RPP’s Central Office?

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is gearing up to demolish the central office of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) located in Dhumbarahi, using dozers. City police chief Raju Pandey has asserted that if the building is not vacated, there is no alternative but to resort to the use of dozers.

The situation escalated last Friday when city police officials visited the RPP central office and issued a warning through miking, urging RPP to evacuate the house. They made it clear that if the building was not cleared before Monday, the authorities would proceed with the planned demolition.

However, RPP General Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari expressed that the party had not received any formal written notice or communication from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City regarding the reasons behind the evacuation order. He emphasized that they had requested a written explanation, but no response had been received from the metropolis so far.

Attempts were made by RPP President Rajendra Lingden to discuss the matter with the head of the metropolis, Balendra Shah, but unfortunately, his efforts proved unsuccessful. Shah did not respond to Lingden’s phone call or message.

City police chief Raju Pandey clarified that the reason for the planned demolition was that the RPP office was built beneath high tension power lines, which is against regulations.

“You cannot construct a building under high tension power lines. That’s why we asked them to vacate the premises. We will wait until today for their response; otherwise, the demolition will proceed tomorrow,” said Chief Pandey.

The RPP, on the other hand, has not made any preparations to vacate the building, with General Secretary Adhikari stating that there have been no formal internal discussions within the party regarding this issue.

“We have not received any clear instructions on what to do. We have not been able to understand the intentions of the metropolis. Many other houses are constructed under high tension power lines in this area, but only the RPP’s office has been singled out,” Adhikari said.

In response, City Chief Pandey asserted that all buildings constructed under high tension power lines will face the same fate and be demolished. He stressed that rules must be equally applicable to everyone and emphasized the significance of adhering to the law, especially for a political party claiming to lead the country.

Pandey further stated that he is willing to engage in discussions with the RPP, and RPP office bearers are expected to have meeting with metropolis today. However, he added that reaching an agreement on vacating the building is unlikely.