( By Deepak Ghimire)
Lumbini,23 Nov 2014: All necessary preparations for Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Lumbini visit that is going to take place on the eve of SAARC 18th Summit have been completed.
Special attention has been focused on Lumbini with the confirmation of visits of Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksha and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to this historic place.
Security here has been beefed up, keeping in mind the visit of SAARC special guests. Lumbini is all got ready to welcome the SAARC special guests to the town.
Constructions of necessary physical infrastructures and security arrangements have been completed in view of the SAARC high-profile personalities’ visit to Lumbini, according to the Lumbini Development Trust.
The President of Sri Lanka, a Buddhist majority country, is scheduled to visit the birthplace of Gautam Buddha on coming Tuesday. Minister for Youth and Sports Purushottam Poudel has been assigned to oversee preparations for the visit.
Similarly, Indian PM Modi is arriving here on coming November 28 and Minister for Energy Radha Kumari Gyawali is assigned the responsibility of making all necessary preparations for Modi’s visit.
Various committee comprising lawmakers from Rupandehi, Kapilbastu and Nawalparasi, former CA members, chiefs of various political parties, key figures of various organisations, government offices and media persons have been formed for providing civic felicitations to the SAARC guests and for their welcome.
All necessary arrangements have been made for security of the SAARC head of the state and government, Lumbini Zone’s Senior Superintendent of Police Ganesh KC. Both guests from the SAARC will be offered same kind of security treatment, he added. Security bodies of both Nepal and India have agreed to seal the Nepal-India border points in Rupandehi, Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu during the visit of special guests, Chief District Officer Balkrishna Panthi said.
The border points will be closed eight hours before the visit. Public vehicles, temples, mosques and monasteries are under special surveillance of the local administration. Sniffer dogs have been mobilised in main checkpoints Sunauli, Kalidaha and Kakarhawa. Lumbini has been adorned on the eve of the visits of the Indian PM and the President of Sri Lanka.
Three helipads have been built for the arrival of the special dignitaries. A total of Rs 15 million has been spent to decorate Lumbini. During the visit, the President of Sri Lanka is scheduled to visit the Sri Lankan monastery, the Lumbini Buddhist University, inaugurate bridges and roads here constructed with the support of Sri Lankan Government and perform special pooja at the Mayadevi Temple.
It may be noted that the Head-of-the-State of Sri Lanka and Head of the Government of India are arriving Nepal to attend the 18th SAARC Summit going to be held in the capital on coming November 26 and 27.
Source RSS
