Himal Press 
Minister Pandey
KATHMANDU: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, has claimed that Nepal was unable to get the historic site of Tilaurakot listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to India’s objections.
Speaking at a meeting of the Committee on International Relations and Tourism of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Minister Pandey stated that India had raised concerns regarding Tilaurakot and other proposed sites, which complicated the process. He admitted that technical shortcomings and diplomatic disagreements also prevented Nepal’s efforts.
India has been claiming that the ancient Shakya kingdom of Kapilvastu is located in Piprahawa, south of the Nepal-India border in its Uttar Pradesh state.
Nepal’s proposal to include Tilaurakot in the World Heritage list was rejected during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Paris in late June. Minister Pandey was part of the Nepali delegation to the meeting.
According to Pandey, UNESCO’s technical advisor, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), had already recommended placing the site in the “deferred” category. Since no member of the 21-nation committee proposed an amendment to that report, Nepal’s bid did not move forward.
He added that Nepal will again submit Tilaurakot’s nomination at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee.
