Hilton Kathmandu, the Rs. 8 billion property, opened by PM Oli has no valid map

Hotel Hilton Kathmandu, the eight billion rupees property situated in the heart of the city and just inaugurated by Prime Minister K.P. Oli doesn’t possess a valid map and construction completion certificate issued by Kathmandu Metropolitan City. In response to a query sought by online newsportal Ukeraa.com, KMC has through a letter notified that it doesn’t have the record of approval of map of the 15 story building in its computer. However, the hotel management claims that it has acquired map from the KMC. But failed to show it when the controversy came up through media.

When contacted, Project Finance Officer of the hotel Sushant B.C. has claimed that the hotel has already acquired a map approved by the KMC. He, however, added that the hotel is yet to receive the building construction completion certificate.

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli inaugurated the luxurious hotel situated at Naxal, Kathmandu on Friday last week amidst a grand function attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and US Ambassador to Nepal D.R. Thompson among others. Hilton Kathmandu is yet to get Five Star rating from the Department of Tourism. The hotel management has already applied for the Five Star recognition and the Department of Tourism on Sunday sent a team to study and evaluate the facilities available at the hotel to determine its standard.

The hotel will not get Five Star rating until and unless it submits the approved map received from the KMC to the department. “The report of the evaluation will be complete within a day or two, but the hotel needs to show the valid map of the building for the Five Star rating,” said an official at the Department.

It is illegal to construct a building in Kathmandu without an approved map. KMC will demolish even if a small one-story building is constructed without acquiring an approved map and there is also a legal provision to fine up to Rs. 5 lakh in such cases. However, the KMC has remained silent in this regard, which is surprising. Hilton Kathmandu, owned and developed by Shanker Group is being managed by US based leading global chain of hotels Hilton, whose head office is located in Virginia. The hotel has 12 stories above the ground and two stories underground. Along with the ground floor the hotel has 15 stories with a height of 64 metre. It has 175 rooms and 350 beds in total. There is another controversy surrounding the construction of the hotel as it is situated in close proximity with Nepal Police headquarters. To grant permission to construct a 15 story building just next to the Police Headquarters gives rise to the question of security. It is surprising, how did the concerned authority give permission to build the hotel without considering possible security threat to the country’s important security agency. Yet another controversy was created as the road outside the hotel premises developed deep cracks while the construction of the hotel building was underway.