The construction of the ‘La Gyalo Wang Thop’ monastery, which began six years ago in Nauthala, Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality-13, has come to a halt. Despite plans to complete the 60-foot-tall monastery within five years, negligence on the part of the consumer committee has led to the project being abandoned.
The foundation stone for the monastery was laid by the then Chief Minister of Koshi Province, Sherdhan Rai, on Magh 19, 2074 BS. The construction, funded through a partnership between the provincial government and the Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality, was initiated with the formation of a consumer committee chaired by resident Mahesh Tamang. The project, estimated to cost around Rs. 21 crore, has only seen the foundation laid to date.
The iron rods used in the foundation of the monastery at the scenic tourist site of Sansaridanda in Nauthala have begun to rust and bend due to the prolonged delay. In fiscal year 2075/76 BS, the municipality allocated Rs. 15 lakh for the foundation work, and in 2076/77 BS, the province provided Rs. 99 lakh to erect pillars for the ground floor.
Although the provincial government allocated Rs. 1.5 crore for the project, locals have expressed dissatisfaction, as only Rs. 99 lakh of the budget was used due to limitations on the amount the consumer committee could manage. Despite the committee claiming to have completed work using the allocated budget, locals have raised concerns about irregularities and have filed complaints with the provincial government.
Ward Chairperson Bhagyeshwar Rai confirmed that the project is now completely stalled due to mismanagement. “The monastery construction began as a collaborative effort between the provincial and local governments, but after discovering accounting discrepancies, the province halted the funding,” said Rai. “The project remains abandoned with only the foundation laid.”
Meanwhile, committee chairman Mahesh Tamang has defended the construction, stating that the work was carried out according to the estimates prepared by the engineer assigned by the provincial government.
