KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker and chair of the House of Representatives’ State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, Hari Dhakal, has said that the name of Singh Durbar should be changed.

Speaking at a program in the capital, Dhakal questioned why the name of Singh Durbar had remained unchanged even after political transformations in the country and the renaming of many places and institutions, including international airports.

He said that despite various changes, the old attitude and culture associated with Singh Durbar had not changed.
“While the world has been changing names after political transformation, we do not even have a lion, yet the name ‘Singh Durbar’ has not been changed. It could have been renamed ‘Anamnagar Durbar’ after the change,” Dhakal said. “But it is still called Singh Durbar, and some of its attitudes and expressions still resemble those of a monarchy. That must be broken.”
Dhakal also said that he still feels the legacy of poor governance within the walls of Singh Durbar.

“Being in the position I am in, when I look at the walls of Singh Durbar, I still sense the stains and smells of decades-old practices. That legacy still exists,” he remarked. His comments come amid ongoing debates over governance reform, political culture and the need for institutional transformation following Nepal’s political changes.