Bhaktapur: The Minister for Home Affairs, Ramesh Lekhak, has asserted that the government has delivered noticeably since the establishment of the democratic republic in the country. Inaugurating a newly constructed building for the Juddha Barunyantra (Fire Brigade) Office at Dudhpati of Bhaktapur, the Minister stated, “It is wrong to establish the narrative that nothing else happened in the country even after the historic political transformations.”
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Minister expressed confidence that Nepali citizens have not forgotten King Gyanendra Shah’s unilateral power takeover, which suppressed democracy. He reminded citizens of the infringement on their rights during that period, including media seizure and threats to journalists. The Minister emphasized that citizens have not forgotten these actions, reinforcing the importance of the current republic system.
The Minister acknowledged that while the country is not without problems and the delivery has not fully met citizens’ aspirations, these issues will be gradually resolved. He highlighted that a unilateral system suppresses citizen and media voices, whereas democracy creates an environment for amplifying these voices, ultimately driving the nation towards prosperity.
On the occasion, several journalists, including RSS Bhaktapur correspondent Ramesh Giri, were honored alongside Peshal Acharya, Pushkar Raj Budathoki, and Lila Shrestha. Home Secretary Gokarnamani Subedi noted that 94 percent of fire cases in the country are human-caused, with the remaining four percent being accidental, stressing the importance of readiness for emergencies.
Office Chief Bijay Prasad Dhaubhadel shared that the office was established in 2001 BS. Additionally, Federal Urban and Building Construction Project Chief Ramesh Thapaliya reported that the building was constructed at a total cost of Rs 57 million and 698 thousand.