Lumbini Technical University Faces Delays in Land Acquisition for Infrastructure Development

Butwal. Nearly four years after its establishment, the Lumbini Technical University, being developed as a prestigious project of the Lumbini Province government, has not been able to manage the necessary land. Lacking its own physical infrastructure, the university is currently operating its Engineering and Information Technology study institute by renting the old Agricultural Development Bank building in Dhamboji, Nepalgunj.

The Lumbini Province government's Council of Ministers decided to establish a Province-level Technical University in Banke on June 18, 2079. Despite a long time passing since the decision, the university has not been able to acquire permanent land, hindering the progress of infrastructure construction.

The administrative work of the university has been operating from a building constructed by the Social Development Ministry of the Province government in Nepalgunj. Although a process to lease approximately 90 bighas of public land in Raniyapur, Khajura Rural Municipality-8, Banke, for the university has been initiated, it has not yet been finalized. For years, the file related to the university's land acquisition has been circulating among various ministries.

According to Reg Bhandari, Registrar of Lumbini Technical University, after the file was returned from the Federal Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation to the province, the study process is currently underway through the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers' Office to the relevant ministries. The file has now reached the Ministry of Law after passing through various ministries of the province.

Janmjay Timsina, Social Development Minister of the Lumbini Province government, stated that after the federal government sent back the file, the provincial government is conducting the necessary legal and technical studies. He asserted that the provincial government is responsible for the establishment and operation of the university and clarified that the process would be completed soon with a decision from the Council of Ministers.

Lumbini Technical University is currently spending approximately half a crore rupees annually on building rent. The administrative office of the university is operating in a building constructed by the Social Development Ministry of the Lumbini Province government. The university has already received the possession rights of this building.

'Due to some legal complexities after the amendment of the Federal Land Act, it has taken time to prepare accordingly,' Minister Timsina said, 'As this is a prestigious project of the province, the government is working on it with priority.'

Lumbini Technical University has started two programs under the Engineering and Information Technology Study Institute from the fiscal year 080/081. Currently, four bachelor's level and two master's level programs are in operation.

How are classes being conducted?

Regbahadur Bhandari, Registrar of the university, informed that the university has been operating 24 classrooms, large and small, in the building of the Agricultural Development Bank located at Dhamboji Chowk, Nepalgunj, after the regional office of the bank moved to Dang.

According to him, the university officially started classes from that building in 2080 BS. In the initial phase, 'B.Tech in CS & AI' and 'B.Tech in IT' programs were conducted. Last year, 'B.Tech in Civil Engineering' and 'B.Tech in IT Engineering' programs were added. In the current academic session, including 'M.Tech Engineering' and 'M.Tech Computer', a total of six academic programs are in operation.

The number of students currently studying at the university has reached 387. Although the goal is to produce more technical manpower in the future, land acquisition for the construction of the university's infrastructure has posed a challenge, said Registrar Bhandari.

He informed that there are plans to conduct more technical courses by taking affiliation from other sectors once the necessary infrastructure is built. The university has also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Kathmandu University and India's Indian Institute of Technology. He clarified that the university aims to expand faculty exchange and student exchange programs with other international universities in the future.

Half a Crore Spent Annually on Rent Alone

Lumbini Technical University is currently spending approximately half a crore rupees annually on building rent. The administrative office of the university is operating in a building constructed by the Social Development Ministry of the Lumbini Province government. The university has already received the possession rights of this building.

For the operation of student classes, the Agricultural Development Bank building at Dhamboji Chowk, Nepalgunj, has been rented. The monthly rent for this building, which is currently being used for 24 classrooms, is 4 lakh rupees. Accordingly, the university pays 48 lakh rupees annually as rent to the bank.

Regbahadur Bhandari, Registrar of the university, told Ratopati that the university has to spend approximately half a crore rupees annually on rent. According to him, although the local level recommended and provided land for the construction of the university's permanent building years ago, it has not been acquired to date.

Why was the file returned from the Federal Ministry to the Province?

The government led by the then Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Shankar Pokharel, had decided to establish a technical university in Khajura, Banke. Subsequently, the government led by Chief Minister Kul Prasad KC advanced the plan to construct the university on approximately 96 bighas of land in Raniyapur, Khajura Rural Municipality-8.

Khajura Rural Municipality and the concerned bodies had given their consent to provide the necessary land for the university. Following this, the Lumbini Province government, through the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers' Office, made a decision to acquire the land and sent the file to the federal government.

Regbahadur Bhandari, Registrar of the university, stated that the file was sent back to the province because, during discussions among various ministries in the federal government, it was determined that the file should have been sent after a decision by the Council of Ministers, not just the Chief Minister's Office. According to him, the file returned from the federal government was passed by the university's Senate meeting held on October 25, 2082, and sent back to the provincial government's Chief Minister's Office. Currently, the file has reached the Ministry of Law after passing through the Ministry of Land Management and the Ministry of Forests.

On the other hand, according to the federal government's 'Action Plan-2079', government land must be acquired through a lease process for possession or use. Furthermore, the process has become more complex and lengthy due to the limit of a maximum of 50 bighas set for land acquisition.

Dinesh Panthi, Spokesperson and Minister of Agriculture of the Lumbini Province government, said that it is natural for the file that arrived at the Chief Minister's Office to be sent to the relevant ministries according to the process. He stated that although there is an intention to expedite the process, delays occur because it has to go through various ministries to complete the legal and administrative procedures.