Main Hall of New Parliament Building Near Completion for First House Meeting

The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (Nepal) has officially stated that a main hall inside the new parliament building under construction in the Singha Durbar complex is close to completion, aiming to host the first meeting of the House of Representatives there.

Director General Rabindra Bohara shared this information during a meeting on Monday with Suman Raj Aryal, the Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, and Padam Pandey, Secretary General of the Parliament Secretariat.

Bohara said the officials were concerned about whether the hall would be ready before the first parliamentary session is called. “We have assured them that we will prepare at least one main hall before the first meeting of the House of Representatives,” he said, adding that they had also visited the construction site to review the progress.

According to Bohara, Kumar Ingnam, the Minister for Urban Development, has also been closely monitoring the progress and receives daily updates.

Since the House of Representatives election has already been completed, the government is under pressure to ensure that the meeting hall is ready before the first parliamentary session is called. The Ministry of Urban Development (Nepal) has assigned the responsibility to the Department of Building Construction.

Construction work is currently being carried out around the clock, with contractors working overnight to prepare the main hall within the parliament complex. Bohara said authorities are conducting daily monitoring to ensure the hall is ready in time.

“At the very least, we are preparing one main hall and a VIP room before the first parliamentary meeting,” he said.

The government is investing nearly NPR 5 billion in the construction of the new parliament building inside the Singha Durbar complex. A senior official at the ministry said it would be inappropriate to search for another venue for the first parliamentary session after such a large investment in the new building.

According to officials, the department is currently constructing 12 blocks within the complex to accommodate meetings of both the House of Representatives (Nepal) and the National Assembly (Nepal). At least one large hall is expected to be completed by the first week of Chaitra, while the rest of the construction may take six months to a year to finish.

Bohara said the department has not considered any alternative plan if the hall is not ready. “We have no other option. The hall must be completed under any circumstances,” he stated.

The first meeting of the new parliament is expected to take place in the first week of Chaitra, though officials at the Parliament Secretariat remain concerned about whether all preparations will be completed by then.