By Sudeshna Sarkar, Kathmandu

In Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, human life comes cheap, costing far less than a makeshift bathroom for the king.

Last month, King Gyanendra, who heads the government since his bloodless coup last year, went on a three-week long unofficial tour of the eastern districts, which cost the cash-strapped government dear.

Besides having to pay for helicopter fuel, increased security for the royal couple and putting up welcome arches, the royalist government also had to foot an additional bill - for a lavish bathroom.

"The kings of other countries lead ordinary lives. They will wear a poor man's clothes and eat ordinary food," the Jana Astha weekly wrote.

"But during his trip to eastern Nepal our king stayed at the regional headquarters of the Armed Police Force where the walls of the VIP guesthouse were torn down to build a toilet," the popular Nepali weekly said.

According to the weekly, the construction cost Nepali Rs.200,000 ($2,800).

The news came even as the government paid compensation to a taxi driver who was shot dead in Kathmandu valley Monday for plying his cab during a shutdown called by the Maoist guerrillas ahead of the Feb 8 local polls.

The government had confiscated the blue books, licences and vehicles of about 500 bus drivers, truckers and cabbies, forcing them to run during the shutdown.

On Tuesday, the government paid Nepali Rs.150,000 ($2,100) to the family of slain cabbie, less than the cost of the royal loo.

The government also paid around Nepali Rs.150,000 to the family of a politician killed by the Maoists for taking part in the polls.

The irony is, after having built such a costly loo, the government does not know what to do with it. After the royal couple left, it has been locked up and no one has been allowed to use it.

Since last month, when the government began a massive crackdown on opposition parties and arrested hundreds of activists, a large group of women were detained in the same place.

However, Jana Astha reported the detainees were not allowed to use the hallowed toilet but instead asked to make do with the police constables' toilet that does not even have electricity, the weekly said.

कता हराए राजा बादि हरु जबाफ छ कि ?

This is preposterous and disgusting...so much for the image of a king who supposedly took over to help save the country --he's done nothing but loot and pillage the state treasury and help the country go from bad to worse.

Sajhabhusaima ji,
The Royalists, if they have any sense ought to just remain quiet. I cannot imagine any argument that they can put forward that justifies this madness of creating a $2,800 bathroom for Gyane and his wife while inncocent taxi drivers shot dead by his murdering armies only get a fraction of that cost.

Lord help us..we need to get this maniac, his even more moronic son and the rest of the freak filled cabinet that rules the land out of the country...and I don't mean to the Swiss Alps so they can all have a celebration with the money they have looted from Nepal.

Nepaali नडराउनु यो मर्ने बेला को कमिला मा आएको पखेटा हो धेरै दिन जादैन ।

Sajhabusaima,

You are right. I don't think this regime is going to last very long...mark my word maximum 2 years.

the mere fact that you guys compare the two amazes me.....
Girija ko ghar wari pari ko parkhal banauna lai it cost 15 lakh re....So????

so they constructed a loo inside the Armed Police Force.....and they kept a log of how much each brick and cement cost and gave the cost analysis to this guy .... wow.....pretty neat!!!

At least the king dared to go to these places and meet the people....stop poking holes to show others down.....If you really want to show the king down, try and come up with what good the alternatives are doing/or would have done.....just poking holes on his deeds wont bring any appreciation ...nor would it convince anybody into beleiving otherwise.....i wont even go into what the political parties did in their times when they visited foreign lands...!!!

An effective communication is showing whats better in your system, rather than showing whats bad in others!!! Specially when there are equal supporters of both systems.

Worst thing is, the driver was supposedly killed by the strike supporters...for some stupid reason....and still the government is giving compensation!!! Does your political parties or Maoist provide any compensation for their error??? so in their books, the life of the taxi driver is worth nothing!!! as they can take his life to support some stupid strike they're after!!!

There's a big difference between someone else's wall and the above news. Stupid people calling him transaprent for showin that money to build schools, hospitals or roads are being spent on building latrines for one-day purpose.

Just my one question to DC:
When first actor and reknowned singer of Nepal Mr. Manadhar asks for help from the government, he got 50,000 rupees in cash (he was really uanable to unafford to go for treatment in India). But when the king's sister asks, the government released one crore rupees for her treatment to london (needless to say, she owns a mass of properties in Nepal). Can somebody tell me what is her contribution to Nepal ?

I have read a lot of debates in sajha but didnt know there are someone who just do debate with silly reasons.

Ganendra's men were stupid..dammn stupid
They could have spent that Rs 200000 ($2800) buying more guns and some ammunition. With that amount of money they could have been able to buy at least 3 Bushmaster rifles (civilian version of M-16 rifle which is often used by Police forces around the world).

More guns and and more ammo. More armed clashes with the Maoist and so called political parties for an ultimate high action and high drama "movie-like" thrill in the country.

Shiva Shiva

Worst thing is, the driver was supposedly killed by the strike supporters...for some stupid reason....and still the government is giving compensation!!! Does your political parties or Maoist provide any compensation for their error??? so in their books, the life of the taxi driver is worth nothing!!! as they can take his life to support some stupid strike they're after!!!

बिरदार कतै तपाइ निदाउनु भएको त छैन कसले मार्यो ड्राइभर लाइ । तपाइ ले पक्कै गोर्खापत्र वा राजाबादि पत्रिका को कुरा गर्दैहुनु हुन्छ ।

DC Virus,
I really have no idea where to begin in attempting to form a coherent response to your mind numbing logic :-)

If I understand you correctly, the fact that we know that the loo cost $2800 is a measure of transparency of HMG's government and hence, ought to stand by and clap loudly instead of being angry? I beg to differ. See, I think that the mere fact that KG the monarch of a country that is consistently ranked as the poorest and where a majority of the population lives on LESS than $1 a day choose to spend 2,800 on building a loo is ample reason for anger.

As for your assertion as to "at least he went to these places": quite frankly, he had better!..One does not become a king because he is deserving, but, at the very least, you can show (albeit with much smoke and mirrors and managed crowds) that he cares enough to venture out of the confines of the luxury that surround Narayanhiti. Also, please take time to notice that leaders and cader of Political Parties have also been to the very same areas without requiring $2,800 loos to be built along the way :-)

"ROYAL LOO COSTS MORE THAN HUMAN LIFE IN NEPAL." So? What's the problem. Raja le hakahaki bhaneka chhan yo muluk unko purkhale arjelo sampati ho. He can spend his property the way he likes. Those Nepalese who don't like it are free to go away elsewhere. Nepal is Mahila Sahu's father's property and at least 20 percent Nepalese agree. The rest are probably dumb.