KATHMANDU, Sept 24: Less than a year and a half after its inauguration, the new ministerial residence in Bhaisepati was severely damaged by fire and vandalism during the Gen-Z protest on September 9, rendering it unusable, according to a preliminary report.
A team formed by the Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office under the Ministry of Urban Development has compiled initial damage details. Umesh Chaudhary, information officer at the Secretariat, stated that among the 27 blocks built for ministers, only one block, which housed outgoing Defense Minister Manbir Rai, suffered minor damage. “All other blocks cannot be used without reconstruction,” Chaudhary said. Even the block where the outgoing Defense Minister stayed sustained minor damage, including broken window glass, which must be replaced before reuse.
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According to Chaudhary, 26 out of 27 blocks were completely destroyed during the protest. Since September 10, the Nepali Army had been providing security at the site but the Nepal Police took over security duties from Sunday. The Bhaisepati ministerial quarters include 27 ministerial blocks, a side office, a gym, a health club, swimming pool, community hall, grocery store, and rooms for security personnel. Each building has a yoga room on the upper floor. The ground floor houses visitor waiting areas, meeting rooms, private chambers, and offices for personal secretaries, while the second floor contains residential quarters. Each building also has a puja room.
Ministers of the former KP Sharma Oli government began moving into Bhaisepati from the mid-week of June last year. By mid-August 2024, all ministers had relocated. Within a year of occupation, the new ministerial quarters were destroyed during the Gen-Z protest.
The government invested heavily in constructing the new residence. The project was contracted in October 2019 to KC-Samanantar JV Commercial Company with a two-year completion timeline, but repeated extensions prolonged construction. For the first phase, the government allocated Rs 1.034 billion with subsequent budgets provided each year. Till date, approximately Rs 3 billion has been spent.
Bhaisepati houses 27 separate buildings for federal ministers, the National Assembly chair and vice-chair, and the House of Representatives vice-chair. The complex spans 96 ropani 10 aana, with each building covering about 7 aana.
The residence was designed to reflect Nepali art, culture, and tradition. The new Bhaisepati residence was constructed to replace the narrow Pulchok ministerial quarters, which now accommodate Supreme Court justices.
