Butwal: The government has decided to provide 100 bighas of land to Lumbini Buddhist University in Buddha Mawali Devdah. A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Falgun 11 decided to give the land of Buddha Mawali Community Forest Area in Devdaha Municipality Ward No. 8 to the University.
The university, headquartered in Lumbini, was short of land to expand its educational program. The university had taken initiative to acquire land in Devdah for five years. There is a legal provision to acquire forest land by purchasing land in other places and paying the amount. The Council of Ministers has decided to provide the land after the Ministry of Finance pledged to provide Rs 200 million to the Ministry for the land.
The land has been acquired by the university after Rupendehi’s people’s representative and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel took a special initiative and decided to ask the Forest Ministry for the money. In his election manifesto, Poudel had given priority to the development of Buddhist University. Accordingly, the university will build infrastructure on 61.25 hectare land in Devdah. Finance Minister Poudel, who is doing a great job in the infrastructure development of Rupandehi, has been emphasizing on the infrastructure development of the education and health sectors.
Butwal Medical College, Lumbini Buddhist University Dean’s Office establishment and infrastructure construction work has already started. The master plan of Butwal Medical College has reached the final stage.
The Buddhist University is starting an integral campus with a dean’s office in Nayangaun, Butwal. For which land has been acquired from the local level.
University Registrar Dr. Tilak Acharya said that the land was acquired in Devadah after a long struggle. “I have been working for this land for five years now. After the special initiative of Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, the cabinet has decided to give the land,” he said. “This is a great achievement not only for the university but also for Lumbini.”
The university has already started teaching three subjects in Devdah. Registrar Acharya said that the construction work of the infrastructure will start immediately. “There will be university infrastructure in Devdah, Tilaurakot, Butwal and Lumbini,” he said.
The university, which was established in 1961 BS, came to Lumbini only in 1971 BS. Before that, the university was limited to Kathmandu as a liaison office. At present, well-equipped infrastructure has been constructed in Lumbini. Structures including central office building, library, dormitory, and Buddhist stupa have been completed in Lumbini.
8 different campuses have been connected. The university is teaching in Tilaurakot, Lumbini, Butwal and Devdah. At present, about 3,000 students are studying in the university.
There is a plan to build infrastructure including Tapoban on the land acquired in Devdah. The master plan is being developed by the team of Korean Professor Kwak. Kwak is the mastermind behind Lumbini’s master plan.
Rupandehi Constituency No. 1 MP Chhavilal Bishwakarma has welcomed the decision to give land to the university. “This decision will radically change the overall development of Devdaha,” he said. “Thanks to the people’s representatives and all the locals for their help in acquiring the land.”
Locals are excited after the university got land in Devdaha. Diwali has been celebrated with the same happiness. The locals expect a big contribution in the development of Devdaha when they come to the university.
