Four new cities added in Kathmandu Valley

Four year ago, the government of Nepal had decided to approve four new towns in Kathmandu Valley and had withhold one lakh ropanis of land.

The proposed cities are Kathmandu Isan, Kathmandu Agneya, Kathmandu Southwest and Kathmandu North. It has been a long time since any real estate within the four forts of the proposed town has been banned from being physically altered or demolished without the approval of the government.

Kathmandu Valley Development Authority has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) of four new towns.

According to the DPR, the Ministry of Urban Development has started work to get the physical development plan of the town approved by the Physical Development Committee for the construction of the new town.

Minister for Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhankri said that the physical development plan of four new towns announced in Kathmandu Valley will be approved soon.

Minister Jhankri informed that homework is being done to take the proposal to the Council of Ministers for the approval of the physical development plan of the new town. This was discussed at the 16th meeting of the Physical Development Committee held in Bhaktapur.

The Ministry of Urban Development is working on the issue of speedy opening of one lakh ropanis of land reserved by the government for the new town.

Secretary of the National Planning Commission Kewal Prasad Bhandari emphasises that the local level should be made responsible and accountable while constructing the new towns.

Urban Development Secretary Dr Ramesh Prasad Singh said that work with infrastructure would be done in the new town. Stating that the construction of a new town is being carried out in a well-equipped and modern manner, Secretary Singh stressed on the need of building a new town to prevent uncontrolled urbanization.

Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Suresh Adhikari, stressed on the need of the physical infrastructure including hospitals, bus parks and playgrounds.

 Krishna Hari Thapa, mayor of Kageshwari Manohara Municipality, emphasis the people's land should not be withheld for a long time and stressed on the need to sell the land by approving the physical development plan.

While developing the valley in a planned manner, the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority has set a target of arranging accommodation for people of different income groups.