Foreign monasteries in Bodh Gaya face action over illegal constructions

Gaya: Several foreign monasteries in Bodh Gaya have come under the scanner of the Bodh Gaya Nagar Parishad for allegedly violating building construction laws by carrying out major construction work without obtaining mandatory approval from the civic body.The civic body imposed a compounding fee of Rs 2,000 per sq metre to regularise the unauthorised constructions, taking the total penalty to several crore rupees. However, according to civic officials, the monasteries have neither paid the fee nor submitted documents to establish the legality of the constructions.Officials said the continued non-compliance has not only affected the civic body’s revenue but could also encourage other violators to flout municipal laws.Bodh Gaya Nagar Parishad executive officer Rajiv Kumar Gupta said a committee had been constituted to examine alleged violations by foreign monasteries in Bodh Gaya.According to the committee’s findings, monasteries including Taiwanese Monastery, Vietnam Monastery, Cambodian Monastery, Bhutan Monastery, Myanmar Monastery and Wat Thai Monastery carried out major construction work without mandatory approval or sanctioned building plans.

Records show Taiwanese Monastery allegedly undertook construction over 4,525 sq metres without approval. The monastery was asked to produce an approved building plan and other documents to establish the legality of the construction, while a compounding fee was imposed. Vietnam Monastery and Cambodian Monastery were also issued similar notices. Cambodian Monastery allegedly carried out unauthorised construction over 2,118 sq metres.Asked about the failure of the monasteries to pay the compounding fee, Gupta said the civic body would proceed strictly in accordance with the law to recover the dues.Sources in the Nagar Parishad claimed some foreign monasteries had, in the past, used their international influence to pressure local officials, prompting the civic body to proceed cautiously.International Buddhist Council chairman N Tenzing Gyatso said he was not fully aware of the details. “All I can say is that the foreign monasteries are duty bound to follow Indian laws and rules,” Gyatso said.