Kathmandu. Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Rajib Khatri has demanded that the government immediately make public the legal, financial and technical status of the 17-storey building that has been under construction at Radhe Radhe Chowk of Bhaktapur.

Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, lawmaker Khatri said that anyone visiting Bhaktapur can see the building that has been in ruins for many years at Radhe Radhe Chowk before reaching the Durbar Square.

He said the question remains unanswered as to why the main structure of the project, which had a huge potential for employment and business hub, was halted after it was completed nearly two decades ago.

He said, “When you go to Bhaktapur, one sees the building standing silently in ruins for years before Durbar Square. The 17-storey building, which was stopped during construction, surprises everyone. The ugly scene attracts the attention of many. The question remains unanswered as to why the project, which was a commercial hub and a huge employment prospect two decades ago, was stopped after it became the main structure. If the project is in the legal process, what is its status, what is the reason for the stalling of the construction, who are the investors and partners, what is the plan of the government regarding its future?”

Khatri said that the government should give clear information about the status of the project if it is in the legal process, reasons for stopping the construction and the investors and partners.

“This building, which is seen by thousands of people every day, is not just an unfinished structure,” he said. It is also a question of the accountability of the state and the private sector. Therefore, he demanded the government to immediately make public the legal, financial and technical condition of the project and take concrete initiatives to resume the construction if possible. ’