The Patan High Court has issued an order to continue the construction work of Kathmandu Tower, which has been embroiled in controversy for a long time.
According to the court’s information officer Parvati Hitan, the court issued an interim order in response to a writ petition filed by Jaleshwar Swachchhanda BKOI Builders Pvt Ltd, demanding that it be allowed to carry out the construction work.
A bench of Justice Prakash Kharel on Monday ordered the continuation of the construction work.
“Since the design approval dated August 23, 2015, and the permission and decision dated October 14, 2024, remain in effect, it is deemed appropriate to continue the building work as per the agreement,” the order stated.
On January 22 this year, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had written a letter instructing the company to halt construction due to a dispute with the chief administrative officer.
The high court has also ordered that this directive not be implemented.
On March 6, 2015, an agreement was signed between the KMC and Swachchhanda for the construction of the tower. The KMC had approved the design for a 12-story commercial building (including two basement floors) on August 23, 2015.
Later, on October 14, 2024, the KMC granted permission to the construction company to add more floors, allowing the building to reach 19 stories. Accordingly, the company had deposited a fee of Rs 23 million.
The court issued the order, stating that the permission and decision for constructing the commercial building as per the agreement remain unchanged.
