Minister Khatiwada sees need of international support for Lumbini Development Master Plan

Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada has said government resources are not enough to undertake the Lumbini Development Master Plan. He pledged to make initiations on behalf of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the government to garner support from the international community towards that end. Talking to RSS in Lumbini today, the minister said the government would cooperate with the Trust to realise latter’s goal within the next three years. “However, the government is not in the position of ensure the allocation of a total budget required to implement the plan within the next three years.” Lumbini is the world heritage site and the international support is essential for the well management and promotion of the site, he asserted. According to him, it needs a huge budget of the State to implement to the fundamental rights of the citizens enshrined in the constitution and this is the government’s foremost priority of the hour.

As he said, the State government had already announced the relief programmes in the aftermath of human and physical loss caused by the strong wind storm in Bara and Parsa and it seemed no need for the federal government to come up with further programmes of relief assonance. He vowed to ensure free medical treatment of the injured and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. Prior to this, during his meeting with the Trust office-bearers, the minister called on them to make plans bearing in mind the possible resources and work incontrovertibly. On the occasion, Trust office bearers apprised the finance minister of efforts being made towards the realization of master plan and challenges for the same. The minister visited the Mayadevi Temple, a museum and a under construction meditation centre among others. The finance minister has advised the Buddhist University to move ahead by embracing the Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy. In his address to a programme organized by the University in his honour here today, he said the main spirit of Buddhism should always be at the center in the University programmes. The University has presently 741 students.