Chinikaji Maharjan, chairman of Ward No. 22, has set up a tent on the road leading to Nepal Bank at New Road Dharmapath in Kathmandu to carry out ward work as a symbolic protest against KMC’s effort to widen the footpath in the region. A large contingent of police and city officers are present at the scene.

The New Road area features an approximately 11-meter-long blacktop road with sidewalks measuring 2.4 and 2.6 meters on either side. The KMC has proposed to expand the sidewalks by one and a half meters. KMC has faced multiple obstacles in its effort to widen the footpath along New Road area – one, with the Road Division, and second, with ward authorities.

Earlier, the Road Division Office in Kathmandu halted the work, claiming the road was cut without proper discussion or permission from the metropolis. In response, the KMC filed a writ petition in the Patan High Court against the Road Division Office to resume the footpath expansion. The court issued an interim order allowing the work to continue, and the KMC resumed the expansion on Wednesday morning.

While the court decision resolved the dispute with Road Division in KMC’s favour, the dispute with the ward and KMC will probably require further dialogue between the two parties.

Ward No. 22 Chairman Chinikaji Maharjan, alongside locals is protesting the KMC’s actions. They allege that the KMC acted unilaterally, without consulting local residents and representatives. The protest is also seeing solidarity from other wards of KMC.

When asked if they were conducting ward business on the street, an elected ward member who had joined the protest stated, “We are working from here, handling all ward office tasks on the street. We will continue to voice our concerns until our demands are met.” He emphasized that the local government, as outlined in Nepal’s constitution, is meant to address local issues and work with relevant bodies. He criticized the KMC’s approach as not fitting the definition of development, arguing, “Development should mean making small roads bigger, not narrowing bigger roads.”

Meanwhile, the dispute has derived a mixed response within locals. Some commend the city’s effort to expand the footpath, along with other decisions to remove parking spaces, whereas a few believe the city is acting like an aristocratic guardian.

One local resident expressed frustration: “A mayor is just the guardian of the metropolis. They can’t do whatever they want.” Meanwhile, another local, speaking on the condition of anonymity said, “Opposing good work for personal or political gain is wrong. Mayor Shah has been working for the benefit of the metropolis, but he is facing opposition from all sides.”

He also stated that political parties should not obstruct Shah’s efforts while he is working for the public’s benefit, evoking the mainstream idea that the protests are motivated by party-interests rather than local needs.

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