442 two-wheelers, 305 four-wheelers, 2 buses, and 7 heavy equipment damaged in arson
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The 756 vehicles that were burned in the Singha Durbar premises during the Gen-G protest held on 24 Bhadra are still lying at the Birendra International Conference Center (Parliament Building) in New Baneshwor.
In coordination with the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Infrastructure and Transport, damaged vehicles were taken to the Parliament Building and piled up. However, the management process of these vehicles has not yet progressed.
According to the data prepared by the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Infrastructure, 442 two-wheelers, 305 four-wheelers, 2 buses and 7 heavy equipment have been damaged in the arson.
Burnt vehicles are scattered all over the Parliament Building premises. Pedestrians passing through New Baneshwor often see the burnt Parliament Building and the vehicles damaged in the arson.
Even the ministry that initially coordinated the storage of the vehicles is not clear about the management. Apart from taking the vehicles damaged in the arson to the Parliament Building, he is not aware of any further process. Narayan Prasad Mainali, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Urban Development, said that he was not informed that any further process has been taken forward. "We don't know how to manage the vehicles now," he said. "We have only collected the vehicles damaged by the fire and dumped them at the Parliament building. No other process has been taken forward." The concerned ministry had taken the vehicle deeds and kept them at the Parliament building. There are 61 four-wheelers and 62 two-wheelers damaged under the Ministry of Urban Development alone. The Ministry of Urban Development has stated that 145 four-wheelers, 256 two-wheelers and 2 buses from various ministries and agencies damaged by the fire have been kept at the Parliament building. Under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, 24 two-wheelers and 11 four-wheelers have been damaged by the fire. Sushila Poudel Dahal, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry's Internal Management Branch, said that the details of the damage to vehicles from other agencies under the ministry are yet to be integrated. Most of the vehicles were parked at the Road Department due to the fire.
According to the Road Department, 88 four-wheelers, 100 two-wheelers and 7 heavy equipment have been destroyed by fire. Due to the Gen-G movement, most of the employees parked their vehicles on the Road Department premises, causing major damage. After the arson, some projects no longer have their own vehicles.
Meanwhile, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Hemraj Aryal, said that a decision has been made to manage the vehicles damaged by the arson through a secretary-level decision taken on 9 Poush.
‘All ministries will have to submit the details of the vehicles destroyed by fire to the Ministry of Urban Development in one go,’ he said, ‘After that, the concerned ministry will have to remove the names and numbers of the destroyed vehicles from its records and dispose of them.’
Since everyone is now kept in one place, the concerned ministry has decided to dispose of the vehicles and auction them off by a single ministry, he said. "Now, such vehicles, motorcycles, and scooters will be auctioned as physical goods instead of as spare parts," he said. "There will be no price for spare parts, they will be auctioned as iron ingots in kilos." As per the decision of the secretary meeting, the sale and auction of vehicles and other physical assets that were burnt on 23 and 24 Bhadra will be done in accordance with the decision of the Council of Ministers on 5 Asoj. Accordingly, the ministry/body will complete the process of sale and hand over a comprehensive list of goods to be auctioned in accordance with the prevailing law to the Urban Development Department, and the Urban Development Department will proceed with the auction process. The secretary meeting also decided to make arrangements for compulsory insurance of currently operating and new vehicles and buildings. The meeting also decided to immediately repair and put vehicles in operation.
‘The Ministry of Finance will manage resources and guide in cases where new vehicles need to be purchased immediately based on necessity and justification,’ the decision of the secretary meeting said, ‘The study being conducted by the Ministry of Finance for the long-term management of vehicles should be completed and submitted as soon as possible.’
21 ministries, including the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, are located inside Singha Durbar. The Ministry of Health and Population is outside Singha Durbar. All have taken the deeds of the vehicles damaged in the fire and have kept the vehicles at the Parliament building. Urban Development has stated that a comprehensive data on how many vehicles were damaged has not yet been received.
