The 18-storey Damak View Tower, a flagship initiative launched by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, remains idle despite being completed six months ago. Announced in 2019 as part of a national project to build view towers, the Damak tower—located in Oli’s electoral constituency of Jhapa-5—was designed as a major highlight of the undertaking.

Originally estimated to cost Rs1.38 billion, the construction expenses for the view tower increased to approximately Rs1.45 billion due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Situated in Dapgachhi village, about three km northwest of Damak Bazar, the tower sprawls over five bigha (27,090.5 square metres) of land.

Oli laid the foundation stone for the view tower in ward 3 of Damak Municipality on July 12, 2019. The construction contract was awarded to the Chinese company ZCGIEC in partnership with Ashish Om Sairam Construction Company JV. Although the tower took nearly five years to complete, it remains unused.

Local Ramesh Sharma voiced frustration over the delay in the tower’s operation. “It’s been almost six months since the tower was completed, yet there are no signs of it becoming operational,” he said. “People visit, take photos of the towering structure, and then leave. We are eagerly waiting for it to start functioning.”

Damak Municipality is keen to assume ownership of the view tower constructed by the federal government. The municipality has submitted a formal request to the Ministry of Urban Development for the handover and has expressed its readiness to manage and operate the tower.

However, Mayor Ram Kumar Thapa said they have not received clear directives from the ministry. “We are prepared to operate the tower if the federal government gives us the go-ahead,” Thapa said. “But we have not received any communication from the authorities.”

Opposition parties have criticised the federal government for stalling the transfer of the view tower’s ownership to the municipality citing the absence of UML leadership in the local government. Damak is currently led by a Rastriya Prajatantra Party mayor, with a Nepali Congress deputy mayor.

“If the municipality were under UML leadership, the ownership would likely have been transferred by now,” said a member of the municipal executive, preferring anonymity.

According to sources, the Ministry of Urban Development initially planned to transfer the tower’s ownership to the municipality after finalising an operational modality. However, recent discussions suggest that the federal government might instead take over its management.

During an address to the House of Representatives on August 22, Prime Minister Oli hinted that the federal government is considering managing the tower.

“Although the project is named Damak View Tower, the building is designed for diverse uses, with a focus on commercial and tourism purposes,” he said. Oli further said the government is in the process of finalising operational procedures for the tower, which will feature commercial shops, corporate offices, seminar halls, exhibition spaces, and a cultural museum highlighting the traditions of various local ethnic communities.

On April 3, 2022, speaking as the leader of the main opposition party, Oli described view towers as centres of civilisation, development, commerce, and other economic activity. During the 2022 elections, Oli suggested that the view tower should be repurposed as a hospital.

Despite the substantial investment, Mayor Thapa highlighted significant shortcomings in the infrastructure surrounding the tower. The road leading to the tower is in poor condition, and it is estimated that an additional Rs500 million will be required to develop access roads and other essential infrastructure. Of the tower’s 18 storeys, 15 are planned for a commercial complex, while the top three floors will feature viewing platforms, a restaurant, and a seminar hall.