Kathmandu, August 1
Nepal Telecom says it wants to manage the historic Dharahara for commercial purpose for the first 30 years after its reconstruction.
The nine-storey historic tower built by Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa in early 19th century had collapsed during the magnitude-7.6 earthquake on April 25, 2015.
The telecommunication company has proposed to rebuild the historic structure at an investment of Rs eight billion and operate it for commercial purpose for next 30 years so as to recover the expenditure.
The NT says proceeds from selling tickets will not be enough, therefore a “business area” should be developed while keeping the archaeological aspect of the heritage side unaffected.
A proposal in this regard has already been sent to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Department of Archaeology.
The DoA has designed a structure for the new Dharahara, but it does not include any business structure.
While the remaining part of old Dharahara will be conserved, a new tower will be constructed in front of it.
Meanwhile, the National Reconstruction Authority has called both DoA and NT to redesign the plan in agreement and begin the reconstruction.
