Kathmandu Metropolitan City entered 21 years of becoming the country’s first metropolis on Tuesday. Kathmandu municipality was declared a metropolis on December 15, 1995.

Still the only metropolitan city in Nepal, KMC was established on December 17, 1919 as a road cleaning office to sweep the streets used by the royals. Later, the then Prime Minister Padma Shumsher officially declared Kathmandu as a municipality on February 13, 1947.

The first municipal election to choose an elected representative for Kathmandu was held on August 25, 2052, electing Janakman Shrestha as the first mayor. But due to political failures and inability to conduct local-level elections, only two mayors have completed a full term in office. Currently, KMC is being run by civil servants in lack of elected representatives.

On the anniversary programme organised at KMC’s temporary office in Bhrikutimandap, state minister for local development Kunti Kumari Shahi said that it is up to government employees of KMC to provide quality service in lack of elected representatives.

The anniversary event was followed by a blood donation programme.