Doti government offices defying building code

Dipayal, January 29

Most government offices in Silgadi municipal area, Doti, have not received approval for their building maps, seemingly because they violated the building code.

Community Development Officer Ramesh Chandra Joshi at the municipality said all government offices, whether existing or under-construction, at Doti’s Dipayal Silgadi municipal area have not had their building architectural design approved for the past two-and-a-half years.

District Survey Office, Doti is constructing a four-storeyed building at the moment. Although the building is slated to be built within two years, the office is yet to get the building map approved. The building is estimated to cost Rs 16.8 million.

Another four-storeyed building for the District Agriculture Development Office is under-construction. Projected to cost Rs 20.9 million, the agro office has also not got approval for its building map.

Recently, the building of the District Administration Office was constructed at Rs 52.6 million. However, the building’s map has also not been approved.

The lack of approval makes all these buildings illegal. According to the Building Act 2000, the buildings fall under category B and C. As per the act, all persons, organisations, or government offices have to get the building map approved from the municipality before starting construction.

Five more buildings are being constructed without approval in Doti. The Local Self Governance Act has vested the authority to approve building maps on the municipality. However, government offices are constructing buildings by defying the building code.

According to data at the Division Office Doti under the Urban Development and Building Department, eight buildings were constructed in Silgadi Municipality, Dipayal in the past two-and-a-half years. None have got their maps approved. The division office informed the municipality that the buildings, including the Far Western Regional Directorate and the District Public Health Office, were constructed without map approval.

The under-construction sabha griha, projected to accommodate 500 people, does not have building map approval. Dozens of buildings, including the under-construction Appellate Court and Doti District Court, have not got their maps approved.

Executive Officer Tulashi Prasad Acharya at Silgadi Municipality said his office had written to government offices to get their building maps approved pronto.