Nepalese PM donates one month salary for rebuilding of capital's landmark

The Dharahara Tower before and after the earthquake. [Photo/Xinhua]

KATHMANDU - While launching a campaign to reconstruct Dharahara, also known as Bhimsen Tower, one of Kathmandu's landmarks on Tuesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced that he would donate his one month salary.

The prime minister's move is considered as an attempt to encourage Nepali citizens to chip in for the rebirth of this historic monument crashing down due to the April 2015 devastating earthquake.

The inauguration of the account will be done by depositing Oli's one month salary on Wednesday as per his announcement.

"We have to construct our heritage sites on our own. I urge all the Nepali citizens to help in the noble cause," Oli said from the premise of the wrecked structure, adding Dharahara will be constructed out of the money from Nepalese citizens only.

As per the government's plan, the Department of Archeology (DoA) in coordination with Kathmandu Metropolitan City will reconstruct the 250 feet tall structure built in 1832, after collecting seed money for it.

The DoA had opened an account where any individual or organisation can donate any amount of money they wish.

According to DoA, the government is preparing to commence reconstruction of 104 heritage sites including Dharahara beginning in April 24, 2016. Out of them 61 will be constructed within a year while remaining 40 will be as multi-year projects with a target of completing in two years.

A total of 754 historical, cultural and religious monuments in 20 districts were damaged in last year's quake and its aftershocks. Among them, 133 have been reduced to rubble, while 621 have sustained varied degrees of damage.