SATV Damak, Dec. 6: The Damak View Tower (proposed Damak Business Complex) which is not operational yet is scheduled to be inaugurated on December 8. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is inaugurating the tower built in his initiative.
Preparations are underway to hand over its ownership to the International Conference Centre Development Committee.
Recently, a team led by the Executive Director of the International Conference Centre Development Committee, Tej Bahadur Rai, conducted a site inspection and expressed the commitment to moving forward after in-depth discussions.
Prime Minister Oli laid the foundation stone of the tower on July 12, 2019, and the construction was completed a year ago. The complex is 100 metres tall with 18 floors. The concrete structure reaches a height of 72 metres, while a 28-metre metal-frame tower sits atop it, making it taller than the Dharahara of Kathmandu.
According to the Chandragadhi Urban Development and Building Construction Project, the initial contract amount for the project was Rs. 1.38 billion, but upon completion, the total cost increased by 5.4 per cent, reaching Rs. 1.45 billion. Ashish Om Sairam Construction Company and the Chinese company ZCGIIC were jointly awarded the contract for the construction of the tower.
According to Tulsi Karki, the Secretary of the CPN-UML, Jhapa, and a member of Prime Minister Oli’s Secretariat, preparations for the inauguration of the multi-purpose business complex had been completed. He said, “Since all physical structures and other works are completed, the inauguration is set for December 8.”
Former Mayor of Damak Municipality, Romnath Oli, stated that while the tower was designed as a multi-use business facility, its depiction as just a ‘view tower’ has created confusion. He emphasised that this was one of Nepal's tallest business towers and expressed confidence that it would be fully operational soon.
The ground floor of the complex includes parking space for 40 four-wheelers and 200 two-wheelers. The design also includes commercial shops, a seminar hall, banks, financial institutions, exhibition halls for agricultural and industrial goods, restaurants and accommodations, informed Bhupendra Yadav, an engineer at the Chandragadhi Urban Development and Building Construction Project. Likewise, an attractive park has been built around the complex.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who was elected to the House of Representatives from the area, has repeatedly clarified that this is not just a view tower but a commercial business tower with a scope of tourism. He made this statement to counter criticisms about government investing in non-productive sectors.
Although the government has announced plans to develop a smart city around the Damak View Tower, the project has not been implemented due to a lack of cooperation from locals. Chairman of Ward No. 3 Navin Baral said that the frequent changes in government and lack of clear plans for the smart city might have confused the locals.
Damak Municipality Mayor Ram Kumar Thapa has said that since the construction is complete, they hope the complex will soon open to the public and operate as intended. He said that the local government was ready to take responsibility even though no official request for it had been made so far. He added that locals had voluntarily provided five bighas of land for the project and would welcome any plans that come forward.
