Prime Minister Puspha Kamal Dahal has started the initiative to lease 200 bighas of land owned by Nepal Sanskrit University, to Patanjali Yogpeeth, a trust run by yoga guru Ramdev, according to Kul Prasad Koirala, the university vice-chancellor.

The trust plans to build an ayurved hospital, an ashram, a herb garden and a cowshed on the land at Beljhundi. 

The 40-year lease proposal had been opposed by CPN-UML lawmaker Shankar Pokharel when it was presented at the University Assembly meeting in September. 

“The proposal could not be approved after UML lawmaker Pokharel voiced his dissent. He had argued that government should not lease the land because Dang district was poised to become a state capital and there could be a shortage of space,” VC Koirala said. “The meeting had then decided to hand over the responsibility of settling the issue to the prime minister.”

PM Dahal, VC Koirala, and Ramdev are supposed to finalise the deal. The meeting has not been scheduled yet.

Ramesh Dhakal, the university rector, is against leasing out the land to Patanjali. 

It will not be beneficial for university as we have already build buildings to open Ayurveda Centre. We have to construct a hospital, buildings and medicine processing centres ourselves. There will be no land if we lease the land,” said Dhakal.

Prof Bhagwat Prasad Sharma shares similar sentiment. He said that Prime Minister Dahal was 

leasing the land to Ramdev without understanding its consequences.

“They plan to process Nepali herbs and sell them as medicines in which the university will have no participation. Such agreement should not be accepted,” he said.