PATNA: Notwithstanding its illustrious history, the G-20 meeting cannot be held in Nalanda in Bihar, because the heritage city lacks a tourist airport and tourism infrastructure, according to Union Minister of Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy.
The minister did, however, clarify that if the delegates are interested in visiting Nalanda, special arrangements will be made for them.
"The University is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet despite Nalanda's illustrious past, the G-20 summit, which is also scheduled for Bihar, cannot be held here”, remarked Reddy at the Nav Nalanda Mahavihar's 4th convocation, a deemed university in Nalanda.
The G-20 conference will take place in Patna, and if the participants are interested, special accommodations will be prepared for their visit to Nalanda. The old Nalanda University has made Nalanda a place of learning and knowledge.
This year, there are about 200 G-20 meetings scheduled at 56 locations across our nation, including Bihar. More than 100,000 foreign delegates are anticipated to attend these summits.
A G-20 summit at Nalanda would have been fantastic. Yet for this, Nalanda requires an airport as well as numerous other tourist facilities. It's unfortunate that Nalanda missed out on this opportunity due to a lack of air connectivity options, said Kaulesh Kumar, secretary of the All Buddha Tourist Organization and advisor to the minister of tourism (ABTO).
He continued by saying that the need for an airport in Nalanda and an air connection for the historic city has persisted throughout time.
Locals reminded chief minister Nitish Kumar about the need for an airport at Nalanda a few months ago when he was in Rajgir to introduce the Ganga Jalapurti Yojna, he added.
Although the idea has been lingering at the level of the Union government, according to Kumar, the state administration is anxious for that and is prepared to donate land for this purpose at Nalanda.
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