The Man for the Times

It could be a case of the adage, ‘lucky seven’, coming true.  The 7^th  of June, 2007, is a date Architect Kishore Thapa will not soon forget, for this was the day when he joined the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works as its newest Joint Secretary.  And, mind you, the ‘lucky’ part is not reserved exclusively for the dashing 47-year-old architect, but rather, it can be said, can be considered ‘lucky’ for the country at large. Because one thing that has always been a chronic shortcoming in the state apparatus, has been the lack of placement of the right people in policy making positions.

So why all this superlative? What makes Architect Kishore Thapa so special? What is it about him that makes one say that his luck has a direct co-relation with the country’s as a whole? Rest assured, there are enough reasons saying so. Reasons also which explain his rapid rise in the rankings. And yes, before we forget, we must mention that he had been the Director General of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) for a meager eight months (October 2006 – June 2007) before being made a Joint Secretary. This, as everyone knows, is not a routine turn of events in the nation’s bureaucracy. 

Certainly, the call to the ministry, where he will probably play the role of wise advisor to a ministry that has a lot on its plate, could have been a dire need of the times. For it is without doubt, the ministry of the moment and will in all likelihood, remain so in the immediate future too. Almost certainly, the new Joint Secretary’s excellent contacts with international organizations like the Asian Development Bank will come in most useful. Here, before venturing further, it would be good to know that the respect with he is regarded by this august body has not been just due to his good looks nor only due to his sophistication. Kishore Thapa is much more than that. It is because of what he knows he is made of that makes him say very matter of factly, “I think I can claim that the ADB has a high regard for me as a professional.” It has been a respect earned through and through.

The following could clarify matters more clearly. “From 1994 to 1997, I was the Assistant Project Manager of the ADB funded Kathmandu Urban Development Project (KUDP)”, he discloses. “This project was, after some years, listed as a ‘sick project’ by the international bank. Later, in 1997, I was made the Project Manager, and in 1999, by the time it was finished, I was adjudged one of the four best project managers amongst those involved in ADB projects internationally.” A surprising turn-around one must admit. However, there’s more to the story. “Originally, this project which involved mainly urban development works, was initiated by the then Mayor P.L. Shrestha. Co-incidentally, the turn-around began to happen after I was made Project Manager and Keshab Sthapit became the new Mayor.”

Kishore Thapa admits to sharing great rapport with the ‘bulldozer mayor’, as Sthapit has often been referred to. He admits, “Without the enthusiastic participation of local stake holders, implementing plans becomes an impossible task. And obviously, as regards urban development, it is absolutely imperative to have a supportive municipality. I had, and still have, a lot of admiration for Keshav Sthapit. With his help I could achieve much.” And, so, Kishore Thapa succeeded in completing some major works like the pooling of almost 850 ropanies of land in Naya Bazar, which is now a vibrant part of the Capital. With the ‘bulldozer mayor’ by his side, Thapa also developed the first digital based map of the Valley. Of the former he says, “Land pooling within the city limits was by no means an easy task.”  Of the latter, he says, “I believe the digital based map has become a very useful tool for urban planning and is still being used for many different purposes.”

The architect is a man who has both his feet firmly entrenched on the ground, and likes to dig deep into issues before making an opinion. He has his own favourite quote, “ ‘Errors like straws, Upon the surface flows; One in search of truth, Must dive below’.” Well, yes, Kishore Thapa undoubtedly has had substantial involvement in the technical and administrative aspects of his profession. After passing out from Calcutta University with a B Arch degree in 1982, he spent the next ten years embroiled on the job as a busy architect. For the first three months he was involved with DOM Consultancy. However, it was when he joined the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Extension Project that one could say, his professional life really took off. This is apparent from what he says, “I was with this project from 1983 to 1990 and I believe that it was such a project as to endow any architect with really significant knowledge about architecture.” He explains further, “Work involved designing and constructing the International Terminal Complex as well as several ancillary buildings. In my opinion, it was what can be called, a ‘complete building project’.”

Certainly, it can be assumed that Thapa was fortunate in garnering such invaluable experience. Still, in his case, fortune cannot be credited with all. Even during the early years, Kishore Thapa’s resume in itself was such as to put him in the limelight. Not least because he was from that rare breed who have become Board 1^st in School Leaving Certificate Examinations. Yes, Kishore Thapa was the topper in 1975, and the first student from Laboratory School to attain the exalted position.

So, there, this is just one of the reasons for being so superlative about the man and pinning such high hopes on him to do the country proud as a top level technocrat. This hope, it can be assumed, is as fervently shared by his father, retired army officer Nar Bahadur Thapa and mother, Ami Thapa, as well by wife Ivy who works as a Social Development Officer with Maiti Nepal. Son Himadri, studying in class twelve and  daughter Kripa, in class seven, must be as expectant of greater things from so capable a father.

What he can achieve, given the proper environment, has already been made abundantly clear by what he has been able to do so far as first an architect, then as project manager, then, senior planner and more recently, as, Deputy Director General and finally, Director General of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC). As an architect, he is obviously most satisfied with his work involving the TIA Extension Project  Another work that has been fulfilling has been the Siddhartha Children and Women’s Hospital in Butwal. One reason for this is, in his own words, “In 1996, I spent two weeks in Japan while designing the hospital, and there I had the great opportunity to work under Architect Tadao Ando. He is one of the world’s top five architects.” Kishore Thapa also was responsible for the master plan of Purwanchal University, and beside others, “Almost three hundred residences.”

After the TIA project, Thapa joined the DUDBC and was posted to Dipayal as a Senior Planner for the fast western region. After eight months, he was transferred to Tikapur as Chief Executive and Senior Planner, a position he maintained for the next eighteen months. Just as he is nostalgic about his time during the TIA project, he is also quite fond of his Tikapur sojourn. In fact, he has plans based around his stay in Tikapur, the main gist of which he reveals candidly, “I can say that I am quite popular in the town and have friendly relationship with many of the townsfolk there. Who knows, one fine day I might decide to contest elections from there.” This will be, of course, another welcome move in Thapa’s life. Welcome for everybody since one cannot stress enough the fact that there is dire need of such people in politics.

Anyway, after Tikapur, Thapa went on to do his Master in Planning (Housing) from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in New Delhi, a course he completed with distinction in 1994. Back in Nepal, he went on to be the Project Manager of the earlier mentioned Kathmandu Urban Development Project (KUDP) and, as mentioned earlier, was adjudged one of the best four project managers by ADB. In 2000 – 2001, as Urban Planner, Thapa was instrumental in implementing the Kathmandu Valley Mapping Program, a key component of which was the novel and modern Metric Addressing System in the Capital. In 2001, he became the Deputy Director General (DDG) of DUDBC, and in 2002, was the chief negotiator for another ADB funded program, the Urban and Environment Improvement Project, the activities of which were spread across the country encompassing many districts like Kavre, Sindhuli, Bharatpur, Nuwakot, etc… It was also during his tenure as Deputy Director General that he initiated the Outer Ring Road Project. “A lot of progress has been made and things are moving. Construction will start by next year and, in my opinion, it should be completed within the next ten years,” he informs about the latter.

In 2003, Kishore Thapa received a Humphrey Fellowship and spent one year at Rutgens University, New Jersey, USA, doing further studies on affordable housing and urban development. Now that he is in a position to do so, one looks forward to him initiating a public/private enterprise to develop really affordable housing in the Capital at least. Neighbour Pakistan’s recent efforts towards this sector, wherein 5000 apartments for low income government employees have already been built and 36000 more such apartments are planned to be built in major cities (as per the government’s recent budget plans and in which government land is given for free) could be examples that could perhaps be emulated here too. One must say that there is no cause to shy away from emulating. After all, according to Prime Minister Shaukat Azmi, he too admits to being inspired by the Malaysian example.

In 2006, Kishore Thapa became the Director General of DUDBC. And a short while later, on 7^th June 2007, was appointed Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works. One can assume that this too could be but a short stop for a man of his calibre. A man whose immediate aim now is to make his subject - urban development – a particularly attractive one for politicians so that they not only concentrate on rural development as is the norm now, but realize that it is vital to focus on urban advancement as well. Specially in today’s times, what with the pace of rapid urbanization in the country.