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Row over Cut in Budget for Annual Offerings
By KTM Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
The Finance Minister of the six-party coalition government had cut the budget to the annual offerings to be made to the Halchok Bhairav, Lakhe and Pulukishi at the end of the eight-day festival called Indra Jantra. So, the members of the trusts of these religious dance troupes had stopped completing the festival on September 19, 2008, and stopped the first President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal from receiving the blessing from the Living Goddess Kumari, and had continued their protest against the budget cut since then. The Finance Minister had repeatedly said that the Secretary to the Finance Minister had given Rs 15,000 in cash to the trustees for the annual offerings.
On Sunday, September 21, 2008, Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai called the representatives of the trusts and some members of the Newar Community to his office at Singhdurbar for resolving the dispute. He apologized to them for the inconvenient caused to them due to the budget cut and nothing of those sorts would be repeated in the future, and he had a great respect for the culture of all Nepalis and would do whatever possible for continuing such cultural and religious festivals. He also said that he would consult with the concerned persons for taking future decisions on such religious and cultural festivals, and reached a 10-point agreement according to the Radio Nepal news.
However, the dissenting people have continued their protest saying the agreement reached between the representatives of the concerned trusts and the Finance Minister was incomplete.
