KATHMANDU: The issue of reconstructing Singha Durbar, which was gutted during the recent Gen Z protests, was raised during the 43rd executive meeting of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) on Friday.
At the meeting, Prem Thapa, chairperson of Ward No. 3, expressed sorrow over the destruction of historic landmarks, including Singha Durbar and the Parliament building, during the protests on September 8 and 9, and proposed that KMC should take charge of rebuilding Singha Durbar.
“It was painful to watch our historic heritage burn before our eyes,” Thapa told Mayor Balen Shah and Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol during the meeting. “
Durbar is our pride, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City should take responsibility for its reconstruction.”
Thapa said that many elected representatives also felt unsafe during the unrest and were unable to respond effectively as fires broke out. “We couldn’t do anything at that moment—just watch helplessly,” he said. “Even if the protests had noble intentions, we must express regret over the acts of arson, looting, and violence. This meeting should pass a motion of condolence.”
He added that while the government is already investigating other incidents linked to the Gen Z protests, KMC should pass a formal resolution pledging to rebuild Singha Durbar.
“I am tabling a resolution in this meeting,” Thapa said. “We must commit to rebuilding Singha Durbar—our historic monument that was reduced to ashes in the name of protest. Watching it burn made us want to weep.”
Mayor Shah has faced criticism for allegedly not dispatching fire engines when Singha Durbar caught fire during the protests. Some accused him of being a “bystander” as the iconic administrative complex burned for hours.
Shah had previously stirred controversy after reportedly expressing anger at traffic police for stopping his wife and allegedly threatening to “set Singha Durbar on fire.” When the palace complex did burn on Bhadra 24, critics cited that remark as symbolic of his inaction.
With Kathmandu’s fire brigades not mobilised, fire engines from Lalitpur Metropolitan City were ultimately called in to help douse the flames at both Singha Durbar and the Supreme Court, which burned over several days.
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