Pokhara, 11 February | Following the severe arson and vandalism at its New Road office during the Gen-Z movement on September 8, Pokhara Metropolitan City has successfully transitioned its administrative operations to the Rastriya Banijya Bank building in Nayabazaar. To address the difficulties faced by residents due to fragmented service delivery across various temporary locations, the metropolis has rented the first and second floors of the five-story bank building. Information Officer Krishna Prasad Tiwari stated that integrating divisions such as Infrastructure, Economic Development, and the Pragya Pratisthan into a single facility has not only simplified the process for citizens but also reduced the overall monthly rent previously paid to multiple private landlords.
The metropolis entered into a three-year Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement with the state-owned bank to utilize approximately 22,500 square feet of space. The monthly rent is set at Rs. 787,500, calculated at a rate of Rs. 35 per square foot. While divisions like Revenue and Administration have already settled into the new premises, the secretariat of Mayor Dhanraj Acharya is scheduled to move by Wednesday. Notably, the Education and Health divisions will remain in their current self-owned buildings in Damside and Lekhnath, respectively, to avoid unnecessary rental expenses, although some internal relocations to the fire brigade building are being considered for the Social Development division.
While the bank building serves as a temporary hub, plans for a permanent administrative headquarters are actively being discussed. The city leadership is currently weighing two options: reconstructing a modern business complex with underground parking at the original New Road site or developing a dedicated administrative center at the golf course area in Pokhara-17. Although a Detailed Project Report (DPR) with an estimated budget of Rs. 2 billion has been prepared for the Pokhara-17 site, efforts are underway to revise and reduce the costs to ensure a more sustainable and efficient construction process in the near future.
