More than 7 people have applied for a dozen office bearers in the Lumbini Development Fund. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had invited applications for appointment to those posts. 727 people have applied for the appointment.

The applicants have uploaded their resumes by scanning the QR code of the ministry. The ministry has already made the roster public. Applications were invited for 12 office bearers, including the project chief. More than 60 times the number of applications received after the notice was made public. According to the roster published by the ministry, the highest number of 209 people have applied for the post of member secretary.

104 people have applied for the post of vice-chairman, 112 for the project chief and 86 for the treasurer. The remaining applications are for executive and council members. There are also those who lobby for appointments based on personal access without applying. The fund's office bearers became vacant after the government brought an ordinance. Now, both the parties who apply for the posts of Vice President and Member Secretary are running for the appointment. Locals have expressed concern and interest after seeing the unnatural competition for the appointment of Vice President and Member Secretary.

There has never been such a competition before. Earlier, it was the practice for ministers to appoint close people. This time, competition has emerged after the government called for open applications. The chairman of the fund is the Minister of Culture. However, most of the work is done by the vice president when the minister is busy. The member secretary plays an executive role. The financial and administrative authority lies with the member secretary. Nevertheless, there has been a scramble to become the vice president.

Awadhesh Kumar Tripathi of Lumbini Cultural Municipality is in the running to become the vice president this time. Tripathi was first appointed as the vice president of the fund on 14 Mangsir 2074 by the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. After Deuba, KP Sharma Oli dismissed Tripathi on 21 Asad 075 after becoming the Prime Minister. Oli himself appointed Tripathi as the Vice President for the second time on 10 Shrawan 075. Tripathi's 5-year term ended on 9 Shrawan 2080.

He tried for the third time during the time of the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal but failed and went to Canada. He was not in Lumbini for a long time. According to locals, he is now living in Kathmandu to try for the appointment again. Along with him, Lumbini monks Sagar Dhamma, Vivekananda and Bhante Sumangala have also made Kathmandu a busy place to become the Vice President.

By making Lumbini a spiritual center, pilgrims and tourists from all over the world come to Lumbini as office bearers of the fund. The main mandate of the Lumbini Development Fund is to develop tourism by implementing the Greater Lumbini Development Master Plan prepared for the integrated development of Lumbini, Kapilvastu, Devdaha and Ramgram related to Buddha. The goal is to develop peace and spirituality tourism by connecting the locals with Arya Arjan and employment.

However, questions have started to arise after the last time the vice-chairman appointed here focused on personal gain and welfare rather than the paramount development and welfare of Lumbini. Buddhists say that they have to bow their heads when they become vice-chairman as a Buddhist follower, but do not follow the basic morals propounded by Buddha and enjoy personal gain rather than the institution.

Lumbini has monasteries, monasteries, stupas, gonpo and chaityas from various Buddhist countries and powerful nations of the world. Through those monasteries and monasteries, Gopi Krishna Sharma, current council member of the Lumbini Development Fund, said that people are eager to become vice president because they can increase their relations, travel abroad, get support/harmony, and make themselves known internationally. 

Lumbini has monasteries/monasteries of the powerful countries of China, India, Russia, and Germany.  Local Chandan Singh Kunwar said that people are eager to become vice president because they want to increase their personal stature and have a good role in society.  ‘Since Surya Bahadur Shakya was appointed as vice president in 2048 BS, there was no attraction in the position until there were 14 vice presidents, including Siddharth Maharjan, in 2072 BS,’ said Lumbini Hotel Association President Lilamani Sharma. ‘After the appointment of Awadhesh Kumar Tripathi, a resident of Lumbini, in 2074 BS, its attraction suddenly increased. 

Tripathi was appointed by the Deuba government for 5 years without even receiving a monthly salary.  Even after serving as vice president twice for almost 6 years, he is now in the race again. Before Tripathi, a fund employee said that people used to come to the vice president because of their service. ‘The reason for the current shirking of being the vice president is the financial aspect,’ said Sharma. ‘After serving as the vice president for 6 years, trying to get appointed again is not sending a good message. It shows greed.’

Former president of the Buddhist Federation of Nepal, Maitri Mahasthaveer, said that many people are interested in becoming the vice president because working with a sense of service gives them self-satisfaction. ‘International recognition is increasing,’ he said, ‘Those who are cooperative and harmonious are also easily found.’