Kushinagar | Maitreya Buddha Project

[kronik]

Unfortunately nothing concrete still. Apparently funds are still being raised for the project, but there is absolutely nothing on the ground.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mayawati and her UP Government have their big mouths gaping wide open for a slice of the funds to allow for construction.

[IU]

With all the farmer protests regarding land acquisition issues, the project area has been scaled down drastically.


May 26: Fearing unrest, UP govt scales down Maitreya Buddha project

Following resistance from farmers, the UP government has decided to de-notify about 500 acres of land from the Maitreya Buddha project in Kushinagar district. The project, which was originally slated to be constructed on 800 acres of land, will now be constructed on only 273 acres.

Officials said the Maitreya Foundation had agreed to minor changes in the project. The district administration has been asked to start the de-notification process. The project is supported by Indonesia and Japan-based Maitreya Foundation. In 2005, the Foundation decided to build the project in Kushinagar district in UP, a prime centre of Buddhist pilgrimage.

The centrepiece of the project will be a giant 500-feet, sitting Buddha statue, the largest in the world. Spread over 800 acres, the project was to include a museum complex, temples, audio-visual theatre, library and hospitality services, set amid lush green parks and meditation pavilions.

The state government had agreed to provide land for the project, estimated to cost around $195 million. But later, the Foundation said it could pay for the land.

The site includes 697 acres of agriculture land of 2,900 farmers. Of them, around 600 had agreed to hand over their land. The rest have been running a peaceful dharna against the acquisition under the banner of Bhumi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

On Monday, officials of the Foundation visited the project site and later met state government officials. Sources sides expressed the desire to start the project in this financial year.

“This is the last year for this government as elections are due in 2012 and the chief minister certainly wants this project to start in her regime. Also, in wake of the farmer’s agitation in Bhatta and Parsaul, we do not want any more such agitations,” said a state official.

July update from the Maitreya Project's website:

Land Site Progress in Kushinagar,
Uttar Pradesh, India

The State Government of Uttar Pradesh has designated approximately 250 acres, of the originally identified 750 acres of land, as Phase 1 for the land site handover. The State Government is currently engaged with the Ministry of Civil Aviation in India to establish safety requirements in relation to the proposed statue and the new Kasia International Airport being developed at Kushinagar. Maitreya Project is optimistic this will allow the Project to progress on site, within months.

A majority of the 250 acres identified for Phase 1 is poor quality land, much of which floods during the rains and for which landowners are extremely keen to receive payment as soon as possible. Even though the land is not very good for farming, it will be useful for Maitreya Project’s activities.

Landowners have been confidently contacting Maitreya Project’s office directly to report concerns and for advice and assistance in liaising with government officials, which has been immediately and freely given. This has provided landowners with an efficient way in which to air and resolve concerns and problems. This form of dialogue is unprecedented in India and this acquisition is becoming a model for development, as Maitreya Project always intended it to be.

The long-awaited milestone of land site hand-over requires huge patience. Maitreya Project will continue to advocate on behalf of the landowners for the Government of UP to complete the compensation process as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your ongoing support of Maitreya Project.

[Marathaman]

How ironic. Buddha would be so annoyed to see what people are doing in his name

[mohistManiac]

I saw a movie version like this on the movie Detective Dee Mystery of the Phantom Flame. You can enter in the Buddhist statue and rise all the way to the top. I like how this project costs about as much as the movie must have took to make but will generate a hundred times more in earnings.

[cremationadi]

awesome design...really nice one...

[India101]

Apparently this project has finally taken off?

Tourism department banks on UP's Mecca for Buddhists

LUCKNOW: A tenet quoting disciples of Lord Buddha says all Buddhists must visit at least four places once in their lifetime. Of these four places, two are in Uttar Pradesh. One of them is Sarnath believed to be the deer park where Lord Buddha first taught 'Dhamma'. Kushinagar, where he gave his last sermon is the other place. Shravasti is where Lord Buddha is believed to have performed the only miracles of his life to convince the non-believers in the city.

Officials at the state tourism department believe the myth can boost state's tourism. "The potential is immense. Last year, five lakh persons visited the tourist sites in the state. There are 50 crore Buddhists in the world and all of them will visit the state at some point in their lives," said Manoj Singh, Director General Tourism, UP. He added that in years to come, UP would become India's centre for Buddhist tourism with the world's tallest statue of Buddha coming up in Kushinagar under the Maitreya Project which took off last month.

In a bid to develop the pilgrimage potential of Buddhist tourism, UP government, with assistance from Ministry of Tourism, is going to host the International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi at the end of September. Hectic preparations are underway for the mega event which will see more than 150 foreign delegates, including travel writers, opinion makers, monks and tour operators participating in the event. An equal number of people would represent the tourism industry in India and will also participate in the event where 15 state governments would showcase their tourist destinations.

The event may be divided into two parts. The first part which will be inaugurated on September 29 by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will actually begin a day before (September 28). Delegates will be escorted from Delhi in a specially chartered plane to Varanasi's Babatpur airport. Thereafter they will witness the magnificent Ganga aarti before proceeding to Sarnath. Inaugural session on September 29 will be followed by a cultural programme, a dance drama by danseuse Mallika Sarabhai based on the theme of Buddhism.

Meetings and technical presentations will continue till lunch time on September 30 after which the programme ends and delegates proceed to Bihar for the second round of the conference. Notably, Bihar has the other two 'must-visit-destinations' for Buddhists, Lumbini and Kapilvastu. Bihar government would host the remaining part of the event.

Regional tourist officer, Varanasi, AK Mishra informed that the city was abuzz with activity ahead of the event. Locals, however, said the patch of road between Babatpur and Sarnath was a bumpy ride. When asked to comment, DG tourism Singh said, "Funds have been allocated for the repair of the road and instructions have been issued to the construction agency by the chief secretary."

Their website is also being rebuilt and says this -

We are rebuilding our website

There are some important developments underway with Maitreya Project. Please be patient. We will be updating our website as soon as updates become available.

[sursena]

Originally Posted by India101

Apparently this project has finally taken off?

Tourism department banks on UP's Mecca for Buddhists



Their website is also being rebuilt and says this -

[India101]

A bit of confusion with this project, it seems to switching back and forth from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh But now things seem to be moving quicker and the project will be staying in UP.

Maitreya Buddha project pulled out of Kushinagar, taken to Bodhgaya

The project was important for the state as it was expected to increase viability of the international airport project in Kushinagar

Having waited for nine years to get land for its Maitreya Buddha project, the International Matreya Foundation has decided to move the project, which included a grand, 500-feet high bronze-plated statue of the Maitreya Buddha as its centrepiece, from Kushinagar in UP to Bodhgaya in Bihar.

In an announcement on the project’s official wesbite www.maitreyaproject.org, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the project’s spiritual director, said: “For the last nine years, we have worked hard with the Uttar Pradesh government to locate the project in Kushinagar but because of very difficult issues regarding land acquisition — with the approval of His Holiness the Dalai Lama — we have now decided to build the Maitreya statue in Bodhgaya.”

The Maitreya project was conceived in 2003 and Kushinagar, where Lord Buddha delivered his last sermon, was selected as its site. The project is managed by the Maitreya Project Trust. The 500-feet-high sitting Buddha statue was proposed to be a skyscraper housing a monastery, a library and other facilities like an audio-visual theatre, hospitality services, lush green parks and meditation pavillions.

A hospital and schools for the children from nearby villages were part of the project which was then estimated to cost $195 million. The state government had earmarked about 660 acre for the project, but after discussion with farmers, it came out that only about 260 acre will actually be available. However, the grand project was stalled as a large number of farmers refused to give their land at the rate of Rs 300 per square metre offered by the government. The SP government, which took over in March, however, started talks with farmers in July, offering compensation at the rate of Rs 940 per square metre, which was paid for the land acquired for the nearby Kushinagar airport project. Nevertheless, there was little headway. “We had started discussions with the farmers on compensation. Only 40 farmers accepted the offer and over 1,000 farmers had refused,” said Rigzian Sampheal, District Magistrate of Kushinagar. Sampheal said the promoter of the project had not sent him any communication about cancelling the project in UP.

A Tourism Department official said that the project was important for the state as it was expected to attract tourists and increase viability of the international airport project in Kushinagar, which is proposed just two km from the site of the Maitreya project. Now, with the project shifting to Bodhgaya, there is a question mark over the viability of the airport project for which the state has obtained all clearances.

As govt fast-tracks land acquisition, Maitreya says project still in UP

Following reports that International Maitreya Foundation has decided to shift the Maitreya Buddha project from Kushinagar to Bodhgaya in Bihar, UP Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani on Tuesday directed the Kushinagar district administration to complete the acquisition of land for the project by January 15.

The Chief Secretary reviewed the status of the project with the officials of Department of Culture, Housing and Urban Planning and representatives of the Maitreya Project Trust.

Sources said Usmani asked the two representatives of the trust, P K Tiwari and Atul Chopra, about the trust’s decision to shift the project to Bihar. They said the trust representatives denied that any such decision had been taken and that it was a separate, smaller project which would be developed in Bodhgaya.

The Chief Secretary also asked the trust representatives to give a timeline for beginning work at site after completion of land acquisition. “The representatives assured that work will start within a week after the land was handed over to the trust,” said an official present at the meeting.

Sources said the Chief Secretary directed the Housing and Urban Planning Department for changing the use of a piece of green land in Kushinagar’s master plan to facilitate the project. The department will seek a proposal from the Kushinagar Special Area Development Authority to make that change.

Usmani also sought an outline of the project as well as structure of Maitreya Project Trust from its representatives. Trust representative P K Tiwari told The Indian Express: “The detailed structure of the trust would be provided to the government within a week. The outline of the project will be provided when the government will complete the land acquisition.”

According to sources, the Chief Secretary said that the project was important for development of tourism and culture in Kushinagar. He directed the Kushinagar district administration to ensure immediate distribution of compensation to the farmers for their land.

Kushinagar District Magistrate Rigzian Sampheal said that compensation had been distributed for 132 acres of land in the last week. Farmers were being paid compensation at a rate of Rs 945 per square metre.

The state government expedited the process of land acquisition after the spiritual director of the project, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in an announcement on the Maitreya Project Trust website, said that the Maitreya Buddha project is being moved from Kushinagar to Bodhgaya.

The government has to acquire 256-acre land for the project from nearly 2,300 farmers. The project got delayed because farmers initially demanded compensation at the rate of Rs 1,500 per square metre. A group of farmers is still holding a dharna at Siswan Mahant village under the banner of Bhumi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. The estimated cost of the Maitreya Buddha project is $195 million.

[India101]

The latest on the international airport at Kushinagar -

Centre sanctions Rs 70cr for Kushinagar airport project

LUCKNOW: The Union finance ministry has sanctioned Rs 70.93 crore for the international airport at Kushinagar. The money has been approved under the ministry's Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme, state tourism officials said on Monday. State tourism secretary Manoj Kumar Singh had made a presentation on the airport project to the ministry about a month back.

"The consent for financial assistance was received by the tourism department a few days ago," said Bharti Singh, officer on special duty, UP Tourism. Citing the secretary, she said, "This would give the much needed infrastructure boost to the project."

The amount sanctioned by the Union government will cover 20% cost of the project. The state government has already committed to pay an equal amount. While about 40% of the cost will come from the private bidder, who would be selected for the project, efforts are being made to generate the remaining 20% share. Sources in the department said the portion would most likely come from the state government though possibilities of 'equal share of responsibility' are also being explored.

Kushinagar, where Lord Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana, is a world famous pilgrimage centre. The airport project, officials say, would give thrust to Buddhist tourism in the state. Buddhism is the world's fourth largest religion with more than 48 crore followers in 20 countries. But only a handful of them visit India, the land of Buddhism.

Kushinagar though remains a popular destination for Buddhists coming to India since Lord Buddha gave his last sermon and attained salvation here. So, what Kashi means to Hindus, Kushinagar means to the Buddhists.

"These facts not only hint towards the potential (of Kushinagar), they underscore the need for an international airport," said officials. They added that the current accessibility (by road) to Kushinagar is time-taking and tiring and so the proposed international airport would facilitate the pilgrims from world over to visit the place. The proposed Maitreya project in Kushinagar - whierein a mega statue of Lord Buddha would be built -- is expected to add to the rush provided the projects doesn't move to Bihar.

Officials claimed that the project is coming up at a rapid pace. The selected site for the project is located less than a kilometre from the East West Corridor Project of the NHAI on National Highway 28, hence it has a very high potential for transportation of Cargo. It would have a runway of 3,200 meters, which can have flights from far countries like Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia among others. The land acquisition for the airport project is complete and has got all clearances including the in-principle approval of the steering Committee of civil aviation ministry.

[m_1973]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/go...tion/1061180/0

When the Maitreya Foundation announced in November last year that it will move the Maitreya Buddha project from Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh to Bodhgaya in Bihar because of the unending delay in land acquisition, the government announced that all land will be acquired by January 15. However, the district administration of Kushinagar has so far acquired only 72 per cent of the 256 acre land required for the project.

Kushinagar District Magistrate Rigzian Sampheal said that compensation had been distributed against 186 acre land acquired so far and acquisition of another 38 acre was in the pipeline. “Some land is in litigation and pending before the sub-district magistrate, tehsildar and chakbandi officers,” DM said.

Sampheal said the acquired land was sufficient to start development work but it would be transferred to International Maitreya Foundation after approval from the high-level task force constituted under the chief secretary. The trust’s local representative in Gorakhpur, P K Tiwari, however, said that the trust will start construction at site when entire land was acquired in order to avoid any hindrance in future.

The chief secretary had, on December 4, called a meeting of the trust’s representatives and officials of Tourism, Housing and Urban Planning Departments and Gorakhpur division, and directed officials to complete the acquisition of the land by January 15.

“The trust has given the government a brief plan of various structures like the statue of Buddha, educational, spiritual and medical related institutions that are proposed under the project. A detailed plan would be provided when the entire land was transferred to the trust,” said P K Tiwari.

Sources said the chief secretary had directed the Housing and Urban Planning Department for changing the use of a piece of green land in Kushinagar’s master plan to facilitate the project. But use of that land is yet to be changed. “The Tourism Department would soon start the process with the Urban Development Department in this regard,” said District Magistrate.

In November, the spiritual director of the project Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in an announcement on the Maitreya Project Trust website, had said that the Maitreya Buddha project is being moved from Kushinagar to Bodhgaya. That declaration is still on the website.

However, Tiwari claimed that at the government’s asking, the trust’s representative Sanjeev K Chaudhari in Delhi had issued a press release in December, declaring that there was no final decision on shifting the project from UP to another place.

Chaudhari was not available for comment.

The government has to acquire 256 acre land for the project from nearly 2,300 farmers. The project got delayed because farmers initially demanded compensation at the rate of Rs 1,500 per square metre. The district administration is now distributing compensation to the farmers at a rate of Rs 945 per square metre. The estimated cost of the Maitreya Buddha project is $195 million.

[m_1973]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ma...agar/1064647/0


The Allahabad High Court has stayed the land acquisition proceedings going on in connection with Maitreya project, which is proposed to be set up in Kushinagar district, till further orders. The court has also issued notice to the Maitreya Project International, which intends to set up a very tall statue of Gautam Buddha, besides other charitable institutions, including a university, as part of the project.

Hearing a petition filed by Krishana Yadav and others, a division bench of Justices Sushil Harkauli and Naheed Ara Moonis, on Wednesday said: "Let notice be issued to the respondent No. 4 (Maitreya Project International) for which steps will be taken within a week. Till further orders dispossession of the petitioners from the land in question will remain stayed." The court has also directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit within a month. The petitioners, most of whom are marginal farmers from Kushinagar, have been opposing the move to acquire their lands for the project, which is being brought up by a private trust.

"Our main demand in the petition is that the notifications issued by the state government with respect to acquisition for the project shall be quashed. Our argument is that the land is not being acquired for any public purpose. Also, if the project is indeed to be set up, then it has to be dealt on the lines of acquisition that happens for the companies, because a private entity is involved. The farmers are not willing to part with their land in this manner," said counsel for the petitioners, Ashwani Kumar Mishra.

The notifications for acquisition of around 660 acres of land in Kushinagar for setting up of the project had been first issued in 2004 under Section-4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The subsequent notification of Section-6 of the Act was issued in 2005. After that, the process did not move forward following initial resistance from the farmers.

Last year, after the government changed, there were reports that the Maitreya Project was being shifted to Gaya in Bihar because they were not able to get land in Kushinagar. gs towards the end of 2012. "A couple of meetings were also held between the DM and the farmers late last year. But the latter were not in favour of giving away their lands, following which they decided to approach the court last week," said Mishra.