Kathmandu, September 29:

Chief executive officer of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Dinesh Thapaliya, today said that the Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd (LMPL) has turned the New Bus Park into a commercial centre instead of making it a well-managed bus parking centre.

“KMC had given the New Bus Park on lease to the LMPL in order to manage parking for buses plying throughout the country,” Thapaliya said, adding that a preliminary study has revealed that the LMPL is turning the Bus Park into a commercial centre. According to him, it was also found that the LMPL has built a number of structures within the New Bus Park area violating the agreement signed with the KMC. The agreement states that the LMPL will not demolish the Japan-made structures within the Bus Park and build new ones.

A few weeks ago, the KMC had demolished over a dozen buildings constructed for

commercial purposes within 20 metres of the Bishnumati river for violating the law. Thapaliya further said that the KMC will now consider shortening the duration of the agreement with the LMPL.

Mahesh Kafle, the convener of a task force formed by the KMC to study the agreement between the KMC and LMPL, said technicians of the metropolis have been keeping an

eye on the activities of the LMPL after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of

Authority (CIAA) begun a probe following complaints.

“Buildings like the Kantipur Complex have come up there,” said Kafle, adding that the LMPL has become more business-oriented than service-oriented. He added that LMPL representatives have been holding consultations with the task force to solve the problems through talks.

Thapaliya said that the KMC had asked the Municipality Association of Nepal (MuAN) to conduct an independent and thorough study of the agreements made by the KMC with the LMPL. “They have already submitted their report and we, in turn, have submitted it to the CIAA,” he said.

A few months ago, the KMC had written to the LMPL asking it to halt all constructions that violated the agreement.