By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 8: Demolition of the structures constructed for running a restaurant on the premises of Narayanhiti Palace Museum premises has started from Friday.
The illegal structures spread across 10 ropanis of land were dragged into controversy.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has started razing the structures after forming an investigation committee on Thursday under the coordination of Home Ministry Joint Secretary Hom Prasad Luitel.
On Tuesday, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale had directed the Narayanhiti Palace Museum and Republic Memorial Management and Operation Development Board to halt the works relating to the restaurant’s construction by Batas Group. Bhesh Narayan Dahal, executive director of the museum, said that the process of demolition had started and it would take some more days to complete it.

The Batas Group had initiated the illegal construction works to operate restaurants on the premises of the museum without permission from the museum authority, he said.
Minister Ale had formed a five-member committee on Thursday to look into the issue and prepare its report within three days.

The Batas Group has come into controversy over the way it received permission to operate a restaurant in 10 ropanis of land in the western wing of the museum.
The group was adding additional concrete structures illegally demolishing the original garden structures.

As per the earlier agreement, the tender bid was opened to operate a canteen for visitors and staffs and build toilet only in 6 anna and 3 paisa of land including the red house.
Hotel Ananda and BPS Leasing and the Management of Batas Group had won the tender to construct the structures.

The group courted controversy after it started additional construction works grabbing around additional 10 ropanis of garden and the army bunker areas of the historical palace areas.