Nepal

Days after leading demolition of unauthorised structures across Kathmandu, the city’s mayor Balendra Shah has completed his 100 days in office.

He got elected as KMC mayor in May, securing an extraordinary landslide victory, defeating such political party heavyweights as Srijana Singh and Keshav Sthapit.

The goggles-sporting mayor said in a statement that local government has instilled a ray of hope among the public, adding people would assess his performance.

He said he was ready to face criticisms for his moves, and added that he would not deviate from his mission to find a sustainable solution to the problems facing the metropolis.

Stating that the Metropolis would continue its ongoing drive to demolish unauthorised structures in the town, the mayor said: "We just want the justification of structures. Their use must serve the purpose they were constructed for. We will not stop our mission.”

Defending KMC’s decision to remove peddlers from pavements, he said pavements are solely for pedestrians and they should not be encroached in the name of business or any other reasons.

He added: "They should remain intact for proper management of the town. The local government did what it was supposed to do to control footpath encroachment."

Self Defence

As he claimed, the results of the removal of footpath trade stalls from Baneshwor and Asan area are positive.

According to the mayor, KMC recently allocated Rs 10 million for e-sports. The move drew criticism recently as media reports said the mayor allegedly awarded the contract to his social media supporters. Balen Shah denies that.

On his plan to construct a statue of the late rapper Yama Budhha, the rapper-turned-mayor said that the discourse on the matter is positive to prove that rap music is capable of encouraging the younger generation to build a career in the field.

The mayor said an individual may have different roles in public and private life, adding he is cautious that his action should not leave any negative mark on his public life.

On the garbage management crisis, he expressed dismay that the issue is far from resolved yet hoped that a durable solution would be found in due course.

With RSS inputs