Kathmandu-The government’s decision to provide land to Sajha Yatayat at Minbhawan and Pulchowk for free, with an indefinite period, has been revoked.

A meeting chaired by then Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal had earlier approved the use of land at Minbhawan (Department of Transport Management) and Pulchowk (National Cooperative Regulatory Authority). However, this decision has been withdrawn due to the formation of the new government.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport was tasked with making arrangements to use land at Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward 31, Minbhawan, for electric vehicle charging stations and parking. Similarly, Sajha Yatayat Cooperative Limited and the National Cooperative Regulatory Authority were to coordinate the use of land in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, for electric vehicle parking and charging stations.

Following these decisions, Krishna Prasad Sharma, Under Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, sent letters to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, and the Ministry of Finance to implement the decisions.

The decision didn’t specify the duration, size of land, or rental terms. It was later deemed inappropriate to allow Sajha Yatayat to use the Department of Transport Management and National Cooperative Regulatory Authority’s land for free indefinitely without clear provisions, leading to its cancellation.

“The decision was to facilitate land allocation. Since the plan for China to provide 100 buses hasn’t materialized, the land will remain with the respective agencies. There’s no need to provide it to Sajha Yatayat,” said Krishna Raj Pant, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

Sajha Yatayat had been pressuring the Department of Transport Management and the National Cooperative Regulatory Authority to provide the land, citing the Cabinet decision. However, both agencies couldn’t allocate land within their premises.

Background

Before Bhadra, the Chinese government proposed to provide electric buses to Nepal under a grant. Based on that, the government formed study committees to prepare reports on the buses’ operation and management.

In coordination with the then government led by KP Sharma Oli, China indicated it would provide around 100 electric buses to Nepal as a grant. However, China hasn’t provided further details or confirmed the delivery.

Accordingly, the previous government had formed a committee to study how to operate and manage the proposed buses. A meeting held on Shrawan 13, 2082, in the presence of then Chief Secretary Aryal, made two key decisions regarding the operation of electric vehicles.

The first decision was related to the management of buses to be received from China, and the second focused on their operation and charging infrastructure.

The government also decided to form a committee to study and recommend an operational model for running the buses through Sajha Yatayat Cooperative Limited within 15 days. However, the document did not specify how many buses China would provide.

The study committee, coordinated by Joint Secretary Krishna Prasad Pant, included five members: a Joint Secretary from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Finance, a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, and the Director General of the Department of Transport Management.

All these developments had taken place before the Gen-Z movement. The committee led by Pant had completed its study and submitted the report. However, soon after, the Gen-Z protests began. With the new government now in place, the decision to provide land to Sajha Yatayat has been reversed.