Achham palace, rebuilt after Maoist attack, remains unused 14 months after inauguration

The grandeur of Achham Durbar, once a symbol of the district, was tragically reduced to ruins by Maoist rebels in a 2002 assault. Twenty-four years later, a new palace stands on the same site, a testament to a lengthy and costly reconstruction effort. However, the inauguration in March 2025 by former deputy prime minister Prakash Man Singh has been followed by 14 months of emptiness, leaving the 30-room structure largely unused.

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Bullets flew as if the sky itself was exploding. People were screaming. I can never forget that night.

For the people of Achham, the silence surrounding the rebuilt palace is a painful echo of the trauma inflicted during the insurgency. The foundation stone was laid in 2008, and while the palace has regained its imposing appearance, years of government neglect and political indifference have, according to locals, rendered it a hollow symbol. This stark reality underscores a persistent issue in Nepal: the gap between grand inaugurations and sustained, functional development.

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The rebels’ target was the palace. Since our house was attached to it, we thought we would not survive.

Elderly residents like Ratna Dhungana, who lived adjacent to the palace, vividly recall the terrifying night of the attack. Her memories of bullets flying and screams fill the air paint a grim picture of the violence that once engulfed Mangalsen. The rebels' focus on the palace meant that even those living nearby, like Dhungana whose home housed police officers, feared for their lives. The personal accounts of rebels dragging away her son and the plea to save him highlight the human cost of the conflict, a trauma that the unused palace now seems to embody.

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In the end, they opened fire at the back of the house. One police officer had lived with us for five years and had become part of the family. I pleaded with them, saying he was my eldest son. That is how I managed to save him.

Kamman Singh Nagarji and Minraj Bhandari, other residents, express their disillusionment. They see the rush for political credit during the inauguration as a stark contrast to the subsequent neglect. The repeated delays in construction due to timber shortages and the government's failure to establish a basic operational framework after completion speak volumes about systemic issues. From the perspective of Mangalsen residents, the Achham Durbar is not just an unused building; it's a potent symbol of the state's indifference and a painful reminder of a past that continues to cast a long shadow.

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There was a rush to inaugurate it for political credit. The fact that it remains unused 14 months later proves that neglect.