KATHMANDU, The restoration of the historic Gallery Hall, a landmark of Nepal’s parliamentary legacy damaged in the 2015 earthquake, is unlikely to be completed on schedule. The Ministry of Urban Development had contracted Prera Nirman Sewa Pvt. Ltd. to retrofit the structure by November 2025, with an estimated budget of around Rs 390 million.

Once used as a storage space for outdated government items, the building—also known as “Aina Bhawan”—was built by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher as a private theater. It later hosted early parliamentary sessions, including meetings of the Interim Legislature-Parliament after the peace process.

Despite repeated suggestions to convert the hall into a Parliamentary Museum, officials are now considering its use as a state guesthouse, banquet venue, or seminar facility.