Dharahara to stay open from 8 AM to 8 PM starting July 17

Kathmandu, July 16 — Starting from Shrawan 1 (mid-July), Kathmandu’s Dharahara Tower will now be open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM, including public holidays, extending its current hours of 10 AM to 4 PM. The change aims to give more people the chance to visit the historic site, according to Urban Development Ministry spokesperson Narayan Mainali.

“Dharahara will now run in two shifts and remain open even on public holidays,” said Mainali. Previously, it was closed on public holidays and had Wednesday as its weekly off instead of Saturday.

Rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake, the new Dharahara was officially opened to the public last year with an entry fee. Since then, over 237,000 visitors have generated Rs 43.39 million in revenue. The tower is currently managed by a special committee formed under a 2081 BS directive.

New Business Tower in Damak to Open for Public
A new 100-meter-tall business complex in Damak, Jhapa will also open from mid-July. The 18-story concrete building, topped with a 28-meter metal tower, will be taller than Dharahara. It will open for a trial phase from 10 AM to 5 PM, according to the Ministry.

Urban Ministry to Go Fully Paperless from July 17
The Ministry of Urban Development will switch to a completely paperless system starting July 17, using the Government Integrated Office Management System (GIOMS). Secretary Gopal Sigdel said the system has been partially in use but will now be fully implemented. All internal communication and file exchanges will now be done digitally.

Crackdown on Misuse of Government Vehicles & Stricter Attendance Rules
The ministry is also taking back government vehicles that were being used without authorization. Vehicles will now only be given to officials who officially qualify. This move follows complaints that some ineligible people were using government vehicles while eligible staff were left without transport. Vehicles used by transferred officials are also being recalled under the directive of DPM and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh.

In addition, the ministry will enforce stricter digital attendance rules from July 17. Although an electronic attendance system exists, many employees were skipping it. The ministry plans tighter monitoring to stop this.

Ministry to Directly Monitor Major Projects
From July 17, the ministry will directly oversee major national infrastructure projects under its purview. DPM Singh is already personally tracking the progress of the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, and similar monitoring will now be applied to other key projects through a centralized system.

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