KATHMANDU, APRIL 13

Balen Shah, mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, asked the government to move Singha Durbar if the government does not want to work in the interest of Kathmandu.

Shah has not allowed collection of garbage from Singha Durbar and the president's office for four days, and today, he stated on social media that the citizens of Kathmandu would not oppose the federal capital or Singha Durbar being moved from Kathmandu metropolis.

He wrote, "Either work in the interest of Kathmandu, or move Singha Durbar to another city." We Kathmandu residents have no objection whether Singha Durbar is moved or the capital is moved."

He added that he needed civilisation, culture, art, and history more than petty politics.

Mayor Balen Shah has directed the bodies concerned to stop garbage collection at Singha Durbar and the president's office from last Saturday, following which garbage has started piling up in sensitive places of the state including the administrative centre of the country.

He levelled several charges against 14 ministries on social media platform on Monday in defence to his decision not to collect waste from Singha Durbar.

The decision to stop garbage collection from Singha Durbar was taken following the dispute between Mayor Balen and the federal government over demolition of squatter camps.

A version of this article appears in the print on April 14, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.