BHAKTAPUR: The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ramesh Lekhak, has said the government has delivered noticeably since the democratic republic in the country.

Inaugurating a newly constructed building for the Juddha Barunyantra (Fire Brigade) Office at Dudhpati of Bhaktapur today, the Minister said,” It is wrong to establish the narrative that nothing else happened in the country even after the historic political transformations.”

He added that he is confident that the Nepali citizens have not forgotten the then king Gyanendra Shah’s move to take over the power unilaterally by suppressing democracy.

He reminded the citizens of the takeaway of their rights during the takeover of Gyanendra. Media was seized, journalists were threatened, the voices of citizens were squeezed and the Press and citizens have not forgotten such steps; that is why they don’t see an alternative to the existing system that is republic, according to the Minister.

“I don’t mean that the country is problem-free. It is true that the delivery has not met the citizens’ aspirations and they will be gradually resolved,” he added.

The unilateral system suppresses the citizen’s voices and of media while democracy ensures an atmosphere for amplifying the voices of citizens, driving the nation towards prosperity, the Minister said.

On the occasion, RSS Bhaktapur correspondent Ramesh Giri, journalists Peshal Acharya, Pushkar Raj Budathoki and Lila Shrestha were honoured.

Home Secretary Gokarnamani Subedi said that of the cases of fire so far occurred in the country, 94 percent are human-cased, and remaining four percent are accidental. He stressed the need of putting the firefighter on standby for potential emery at any time.

According to Office Chief Bijay Prasad Dhaubhadel, the office was established in 2001 BS. Federal Urban and Building Construction Project Chief Ramesh Thapaliya said the building was constructed at a total cost of Rs 57 million and 698 thousand.