The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has paid a fine of Rs100,000 to Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) for littering during the party’s demonstration organised to welcome former King Gyanendra Shah on Sunday.

The metropolis fined the party claiming the participants of the rally organised by the RPP produced rubbish causing environmental damage at several locations in the Capital city, including Tribhuvan International Airport, Tilganga, and Gaushala areas.

The City office issued a penalty citing improper disposal of waste, including the destruction of plants and other public property, in violation of the Waste Management Act-2011, and the Kathmandu Metropolitan Environmental Conservation Act, 2021. The penalty, in accordance with these laws, was also backed by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Finance Act, 2024.

In response to the fine, RPP lawmaker, Gyanendra Shahi, posted a message on Facebook, acknowledging the decision. He stated, “We, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, believe in good governance and rule of law. While welcoming the former king, thousands of people may have accidentally stepped on something on the streets. We accept the KMC’s decision. The Rs100,000 fine has been deposited into the KMC account.”

The KMC’s notice pointed out that the environmental damage, including the littering of the streets, footpaths, and islands, caused significant pollution along the route the party took out the rally during the event.

The imposition of the fine comes amid growing concerns about environmental responsibility during large public events, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. Political analysts have highlighted that such fines should be enforced fairly and consistently across all political parties.

The metropolis had slapped the same amount of fine to the CPN-UML citing similar offence when the party organised a mass gathering at Durbarmarg, Kathmandu in November last year.

The party however had objected to the KMC’s decision accusing Mayor Balendra Shah of being used to do so.