KATHMANDU – The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has announced to continue demolishing structures constructed illegally and by encroaching upon public land.
“It would continue as a campaign. The structures unlawfully built in all 32 wards of KMC would not be left”, said Sunil Lamsal, a member of KMC Mayor Balen Shah secretariat. He further informed that the structures constructed without obtaining official approval and built not in line with the authorized map would be removed.
“KMC would first request the concerned individuals to show documents regarding construction of the structure and further legal process would be adopted if something wrong was evidenced while screening the documents”, he shared. As part of the campaign, KMC had pulled down the illegally-constructed and unauthorized structures in and around Kathmandu Mall in Sundhara on Wednesday.
On the same day, Mayor Shah reached Durbar Marga and directed the removal of unauthorized structures. Earlier, the street-based shops being operated at New Baneswor areas that were constructed for vehicle parking were also evacuated.
Lamsal added, “Monopoly of any side would not be entertained anymore as in the past”. The drive to demolish unauthorized structures began Wednesday when the concerned sides ignored the 35-day public notice issued earlier by the metropolitan city.
KMC expressed its confidence that the move would help manage vehicle parking and traffic issue in the metropolis in coming days. The KMC has come up with the tough measure when there was a wrong trend of constructing big malls and collecting higher rental charges from vendors in the areas set aside for parking.
“The demolition of some structure is just a symbolic move. If the owners remain obdurate to comply with the law, we would be compelled to pull down several structures in future”, Lamsal added.
The KMC has clarified that the drive was initiated when the concerned sides remained reluctant to come to discuss on the issue even after 35 days of the public notice, Mayor Shah shared via social media.
“Do not construct unlawful structures. Please demolish the structures complying with the KMC notice if they were already built. Also do not rent in such structures”, Mayor Shah added.
Mayor Shah said they would do their best efforts to get rented sides compensated from the owners while demolishing the unauthorized structures.
Likewise, KMC wrote a letter to the Babarmahal-based Kathmandu District Court to send details of its approved map. The metropolis has also warned the court to initiate legal process if structures were found constructed without approving map.
KMC sources shared currently there are 35 buildings in Kathmandu that have been receiving tax exemption on condition of managing basement and underground parking.
