Dahal to go to US to enlist aid for Lumbini

KATHMANDU, Oct 29: Chairman of the UCPN (Maoist), Pushpa Kamal Dahal is leaving for the United States of America next week to garner the United Nations’ support and cooperation for the development of Lumbini.



A high-level delegation led by the Maoist chairman is leaving for New York, U.S. on November 5 to exchange views with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon regarding the world body’s role in developing Lumbini as the international hub of Buddhism and other forms of cooperation in that regard.[break]



Lumbini is the birthplace of the Buddha, the apostle of peace, and is enlisted in the list of World Heritage Sites.



The government recently constituted a committee under the chairmanship of UCPN (Maoist) chairman and former Prime Minister Dahal for preparing a master plan for the all-round development of Lumbini as well as to promote it as a pilgrimage for the Buddhists all over the world.



A meeting of the Council of Ministers last week decided to send the Dahal-led committee on the development of Lumbini, to the United States. The delegation comprises Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Mohammad Wakil Musalman, former ministers Dr. Minendra Rijal and Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar and Manoj Bahadur Shrestha, a banker, from the private sector.



Prakash and Samir Dahal will also accompany the delegation as chairman Dahal’s private secretaries.The Maoist chairman’s personal secretary Dahal said most probably the Nepali delegation will hold talks with UN Secretary-General Ban on November 7.



It may be recalled that the UN Secretary-General during his meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai on the sidelines of the 66th UN General Assembly meeting last month expressed his willingness to provide the possible cooperation for the development of Lumbini.

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