Spaces Issue 7

PROFILE§
merrily leasing out the premises to all and
sundry. With the result that a lot of
aesthetically ugly and structurally unwise
constructions have been allowed to be
done inside the building.
“We won this project through a design
competition,” says Matsyendra. In fact,
he is proud to declare that in the course
of their career, the firm has competed
in, and won, many projects this way. So
what has been the reason for their
astounding success? Chandralekha has a
succinct answer, “Sincerity”. Her smiling
husband adds, “Right from the beginning
we have confined ourselves to design and
consultancy. We have never ventured into
construction. Maybe this was one reason
for our success.” Elaborating further he
says, “We have done a lot of projects
involving USAID and other international
organizations, and there are clauses in
their contract that forbid consultants from
being in direct contact with suppliers.
Perhaps this is their way of making sure
that project costs don’t become inflated.”
The husband/wife team’s latest achievement has been the Rs. 22
crore Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh commercial complex next to
the RNAC building in Sundhara.
At the moment, the firm is busy with a Rs.
14 crore project, that of a commercial
complex in Teku which is in the
construction stage as is an OPD Service
Area Extension at the Maternity Hospital
in Thapathali. A Rs. 12 crore project, the
Nepal Bharat Maitri Lalit Sabha Griha in
Pulchowk, is under tendering stage as is a
Rs 5 crore office building block of the
Lalitpur Sub-Metroploitan City. If one
were to only consider the above, it would
seem that having their residence cum office
in Kandevtasthan, Kupondole, must be a
blessing. However, one will have to
conclude that it really doesn’t matter if one
realizes that the couple have done
numerous works in places ranging from
Mahendranagar in the far west to Ilam in
the east. In fact the HMG/UNFPA/
District Level Training Building Project
during the period March 1998 to October
1999, involved work in twenty five towns
all over the country. “I think that was the
time when we used to joke that we were
going on a ‘Nepal Darshan’,” laughs
Chandralekha. Oh yes, the couple laugh a
lot and the reason is obvious. “We are really
very satisfied with our careers,” concedes
the ever smiling Matsyendra.
Another reason for their satisfaction could
be the way their personal lives have turned
out. Matsyendra and Chandralekha
married in 1973 while they were both
studying at M.S.University in Baroda. They
passed out in 1975, the better half passing
out as the topper among girls. Indeed,
Chandralekha has always done well in
studies. Sister of renowned neuro surgeon,
Dr. Dinesh Nath Dongol, she did her SLC
SPACES NOV-DEC 2005 53