Lumbini Area industry free zone under consideration

Gorkhapatra.com, Thursday, June 21, 2007

RUPANDEHI, Lumbini (Nepal) The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply is seriously thinking over the demand to declare the 10km periphery around the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) Area as industry free zone.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply and chief of the environment department Binod Kumar Upadhyaya said demands have been pouring in to declare the 10Km periphery as industry free zone.

He said although the existing laws do not give any right to the ministry to decline proposals for the registration of new industry, but it is seen that there is indifference among the already established industries toward environment conservation, pollution control and issues of public concern.

Upadhyaya said that the Ministry was near to taking a concrete decision on removing the industries established around the LDT. He, however, said that it was yet not able to make out where the industries should be shifted.

The local entrepreneurs had asked Upadhayaya to present the ministry's views regarding the industries established around LDT.

He said after the interaction that the LDT, Buddhist monks and other organisations related to Buddhism had demanded that the industries around LDT be shifted.

He disclosed that the ministry was mulling over allowing only hotels and other tourism related industries to operate around LDT.

Upadhayaya viewed that the Rupandehi District Development Committee needs to take ahead its plans by formulating a separate plan on the shifting of the industries.

source: http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=21524