The proposed master plan of Manjushree Park of Chovar has been hampered due to local dispute.
With nine year’s efforts of consumers’ committee, a 33-feet-tall statue of Manjushree, ancient Buddhist saint, was erected in the park. However, the dispute between the local consumers’ committee and Kirtipur Municipality over the authority to run the park has put the project in limbo.
It has completed all tasks of the statue, but other parts of the park, which span in 22 ropanies of land are yet to be completed, said Indra Bahadur Maharjan, chief of Manjushree Park.
It has cost over Rs. 150 million to erect and decorate the statue even though the early budget estimation for the statue was Rs. 30 million, he said.
“The statue and other proposed structures of the park could not be built within the deadline due to lack of enough budget. The work has been made possible with the funds and support of the local communities and other donors,” he further said.
Kirtipur Municipality had promised to provide 50 per cent from the budget that they provide to each ward. The small and piecemeal budget providing system of the municipality could not support the construction process of the park speedily.
If the municipality takes initiative to provide necessity budget, the park can be constructed within few years but the construction has moved at snail’s pace, he said.
In normal times, daily hundreds of people visit Chovar to get refreshment from tense environment of Kathmandu to observe Chovar pass, cave, heritage site and hillsides of Chovar.
Manjushree Park hopes to become a major tourism attraction in the future after completing all proposed plan of the project.
Maharjan further said, “We have also planned to construct study and research building and keep all materials related to Manjushree and Mount Everest because the tallest peak can be viewed from Chovar on a clear day.”
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
