The parliamentary panel summoned Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav, Minister for Culture Khagendra Prasad Prasai and secretaries from the ministry of culture, ministry of the foreign affairs and other officials concerned at a meeting on Tuesday seeking information about the controversy surrounding the development plan.[break]
Ministers and senior officials present at the meeting told the members of the panel, which is headed by Speaker Subas Nembang, that they were totally in the dark about the deal on running development projects in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
“We have directed the ministries and the government agencies concerned to find the facts and provide the details to the parliamentary panel as soon as possible,” said Nembang.
The deal has courted controversy as the government agencies have said they have no knowledge about the development project worth US$ 3 billion.
The parliament meeting on June 3 formed the committee to monitor the implementation of the parliament stricture on developing Lumbini as an International Peace City.
The stricture motion for developing Gautam Buddha´s birthplace as an International Peace City and to accomplish the remaining tasks of the Master Plan for Lumbini Development within a period of three years was endorsed by the parliament meeting on April 2, 2010.
Related story
UNIDO Conference concludes
