Kathmandu, 24 April: The Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balen Shah, has claimed that there has been billions worth of policy-level corruption in the map approval process of the Kathmandu Tower located at the old bus park.
After a long silence, Shah addressed the controversy through social media, stating that the Kathmandu Tower project would cause the metropolis a financial loss of over one billion. He asserted that the tower construction process, which was carried out improperly, would result in billions of profit for the contractor.
According to Shah, when approval was granted for up to 12 floors in 2073 BS (2016 AD), the then leadership of the metropolis made an agreement that would result in minimal financial benefit for the city.
As per that agreement, Shah argues that the metropolis would receive only NPR 9.833 million annually for the first four years, and just NPR 39 million by the 30th year.
However, Shah claims that when the approved 12-storey structure was expanded to 19 storeys, adding an extra 128,000 square feet of space, the annual rental income should have exceeded NPR 2.3 billion.
He stated, “Over a period of 30 years, the rent per square foot reaches NPR 670, which means the additional seven floors alone should generate over NPR 1 billion in revenue. But according to the agreement, the metropolis receives only NPR 30 million, giving the contractor billions in profit.”
Shah also asserted that there were numerous irregularities and illegal activities in the building’s construction. The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority had granted approval in 2072 BS (2015 AD) for constructing the tower with a limit of up to 12 storeys.
However, Shah argued that the 19-storey tower was approved without consulting the authority or conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment. “As a structural engineer, I can say that based on NBC 105:2020 standards, over 70% of the columns in the 19-storey design fail,” he claimed.
Shah accused the current Chief Administrative Officer, Saroj Guragain, of making serious errors during the map approval process.
“Without using the official EBPS system and without informing the department head, Guragain approved the map on his second day in office,” Shah stated. “This is part of policy-level corruption.”
He suspects that Guragain was sent to Kathmandu by the federal government under a special “mandate.” Shah also expressed readiness to cooperate with the concerned authorities for an investigation into the matter.
“The map has not been officially approved in the metropolitan’s system, and we do not recognize this document,” he added. “Guragain also approved the Hilton Hotel map on the same day, and that is also under investigation.”
He urged people to report any such irregularities found within the metropolis. On the occasion of Democracy Day (Baisakh 11), he also appealed for a corruption-free society.
