By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 12: Proposed master plan of Manjushree Park at Chobhar has not moved ahead at the desired pace in lack of sufficient budget.
A huge statue of Manjushree now stands erect at the park. It was built by artist Chandra Shyam Dangol in coordination with Jalbinayak Jungle Consumer Committee.
However, a dispute has sparked between the local consumer committee and Kirtipur Municipality over the authority to run the park, leaving the entire project in limbo.
The consumer committee erected the 33-feet-tall statue of Manjushree, which was built in eight years.
Although the statute is complete, the construction of the park that spreads in about 22 ropanis of land is still a work-in-progress, said Indra Bahadur Maharjan, chief of Manjushree Park.
Claimed as the world’s tallest stone bas-relief monument in the world, the statue, upon completion, has gone overboard the estimated budget.
At the outset of the project, the Manjushree figure was allocated Rs. 30 million, but by the end it cost over Rs. 150 million, informed Maharjan.
“The statue and other proposed structure of the park could not be built within the deadline due to lack of fund. The work so far has been made possible with the funds and support of the local communities and other donors,” he added.
Kirtipur Municipality had promised to provide 50 per cent from the budget that they provided to each ward, but as per locals, it is insufficient to expedite the park construction work.
If the municipality takes initiation to provide the required budget, the park can be constructed within a few years, said Park chief Maharjan.
Maharjan further said, “We have also planned to construct study and research buildings and keep all materials related to Manjushree and Mount Everest, because Everest can be viewed from Chobhar on a clear day.”
Everyday hundreds of people visit Chobhar as a getaway from the troublesome environment of Kathmandu.
While most people frequent the Chobhar Galchi, cave, heritage site and hillside of Chobhar, Manjushree Park hopes to become a major tourism attraction in the future.