The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday issued a directive to not implement the decision to sell the buildings owned by Nepal Rastra Bank based in Thapathali and Baluwatar.

The PAC Secretary Surendra Aryal on Sunday wrote a letter to the Rastra Bank governor to inform the House panel if the bank buildings have already been sold.

General administration officers of central bank, however, said they have no knowledge of such letter sent by the committee.

The parliamentary committee, in its letter, noted that the buildings of archaeological and historical importance would be destroyed soon if they are sold or demolished without any mandate and coordination with concerned authorities. The committee has also informed about holding a special discussion on the preservation of such heritages.

Acting Executive Director at NRB Service Department, Ramesh Kumar Pokharel, informed that the government had decided to demolish the buildings as both of them were completely damaged by the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015 and there is no possibility of retrofitting them.

“We are only a coordination body,” said Pokharel. He expressed his surprise at the paradoxical directive of the House committee against the government decision.

According to Pokharel, a decision has been made to demolish the Baluwater-based central building of NRB (Lalita Niwas) and Thapathali-based banking office buildings and sell all the soil, bricks, stones and windows except for the “stuff of essential and archaeological importance” for a price of Rs 80 million.