NEFIN, Buddhist group picket Singhadurbar

NEFIN, Buddhist group picket Singhadurbar

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -

The agitating Buddhist community and Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) picketed entry points ofSinghadurbar in the Capital on Tuesday. The protestors staged demonstration at Padmodayamod, Hanumanthan and Bhadrakali from 9 to 11 this morning demanding to install Buddha idol near Kakre Bihar in Surkhet.

Transportation went out of gear in the Capital due to the demonstration.

The Buddhist community says it resorted to protest as it was barred from erecting the statue near the Kakre Bihar premises in Latikoili-8 despite permission from the authorities concerned.

According to the protestors, stakeholders such as the District Administration Office, the Department of Archaeology, the District Development Committee and the Village Development Committee and the local political parties had given their permission for the idol placement but the Department of Forests kept them for two years saying that the placement required approval from the Cabinet.

The foundation stone was laid in April, 2007 but further works were stopped. The Department of Archaeology later allowed the plan to go reasoning that the site beyond the 35-metre radius of the Bihar does not fall under its purview.