The Lumbini Development Trust has revoked the permission granted to private companies to unearth the historical area and construct stupas, Vihars and other structures in Ramgram Stupa, which is said to contain the corporeal remains of Gautam Buddha.

An executive committee meeting of the trust chaired by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati on Tuesday cancelled the agreement and understanding reached with two private companies.

The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives on Sunday directed the government to revoke the permission granted to two private companies.

The Lumbini Development Trust had agreed to lease out a total of 120 bigha (81.27 hectares) of land for 99 years to the Singapore-based Moksha Foundation and Nepal-based Promised Land. Of the total 120 bigha, 116 bigha (78.56 hectares) belong to local residents and need to be acquisitioned.

Recently, the vice-chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust, Lharkyal Lama, unilaterally decided to lease out the Ramgram area to private companies ignoring written objections by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Archaeology.

The meeting of the House panel on Sunday instructed the government to cancel all the processes and also to investigate individuals involved in the decision-making process. The committee has also instructed the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority to investigate.

The committee said that handing over the Ramgram area to private companies is illegal and an attack on public faith.