Lumbini Development and Promotion Authority should be established: Bhattarai

Lumbini, July 2, 2024
A team from the House of Representatives' Public Accounts Committee visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. The team, which came to study Gautam Buddha International Airport and Lumbini, visited Lumbini on Monday. Led by former Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation and Member of Parliament Yogesh Bhattarai, the Public Accounts Subcommittee team observed the Peace Lamp, Mayadevi Temple, and some monastic areas.

In a prior discussion, the state of the Lumbini Development Trust, completed programs, and the Lumbini Master Plan were deliberated. Speaking at the discussion, Hon. Yogesh Bhattarai stated that the structure of the Lumbini Development Trust needs to be changed. He indicated that the Trust's Act does not recognize the provincial and local levels and emphasized that it should be revised and developed into an autonomous and powerful Lumbini Development and Promotion Authority.

He stressed the need to complete the remaining works of the Lumbini Master Plan, constructed by Kenzo Tange, and to make the Master Plan timely. He pointed out that the annual income of the Lumbini Development Trust is very low and mentioned that the committee would draw the government's attention to the budget shortage for development. Similarly, the team showed interest in the works of the Lumbini Master Plan, the operation of electric buses in Lumbini, and various development constructions. Sanuraja Shakya, the member secretary of the Trust, informed the parliamentary team that the government allocates a very minimal budget solely for the Master Plan. He stated that due to the budget shortage, they have been unable to work on the development of ancient Kapilvastu's Tilaurakot Palace, Ramgram with relics, and maternal Devadaha.

Likewise, senior director of the Lumbini Development Trust, Gyanin Rai, presented that although there is an employee staffing (ONM) for Lumbini, the structure has not been approved. The visiting team included coordinator Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai and members of the House of Representatives Achyut Prasad Mainali, Amresh Kumar Singh, Bikram Pandey, Manju Khand, Manish Jha, Shyam Kumar Ghimire, and Saraj Ahmed Farooqi.