Santosh Pandey has been appointed member secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust.
A Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday decided to appoint engineer Pandey to the position.
Pandey, a permanent resident of Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi district, had been working in the secretariat of Prime Minister Balendra Shah as a close associate since Shah’s tenure as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. He has now been entrusted with the important responsibility of protecting, managing, and developing Lumbini.
Just a few days ago, the government appointed singer Ani Choying Drolma as vice-chairperson of the Lumbini Development Trust. Her appointment, however, has sparked controversy.
Following Drolma’s appointment, activists involved in the Save Lumbini Campaign and local residents launched protests. The government has also faced widespread criticism over reports that money-laundering and citizenship-related cases involving Drolma are pending.
The government is reportedly hoping that appointing Pandey, a local resident of Rupandehi, will help ease the protests in Lumbini.
“I am a resident of Rupandehi and am closely familiar with past activities in Lumbini and the concerns of the local community. I will work by taking their sentiments into account,” Pandey said.
Pandey has professional experience in infrastructure development, structural engineering, and urban management. Until recently, he served as chief adviser to Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Advanced College of Engineering and Management in Kathmandu and a master’s degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India.
Pandey has previously worked as a structural engineer at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Butwal Sub-metropolitan City, and Tilottama Municipality. During his service in local governments, he played an important role in implementing building codes, ensuring structural safety, conducting technical inspections of high-rise buildings, and implementing and improving electronic building permit systems.
He also has experience ensuring the technical quality of public buildings and infrastructure, as well as strengthening the capacity of technical personnel in local governments.
In the private sector, he has contributed to the structural design and analysis of several pedestrian bridges, a wind- and earthquake-resistant observation tower in Kohalpur, and other public infrastructure projects.
In particular, he received a letter of appreciation from the Structural Engineers Association Nepal in 2024 for his active involvement in the review of the Nepal National Building Code.
Pandey has also participated in international training on smart cities organized under the United Nations Centre for Regional Development. His expertise includes urban development, geographic information systems, sustainable infrastructure, and disaster-resilient settlement planning.
The responsibilities of the Lumbini Development Trust extend beyond the construction of physical infrastructure. Its primary mandate includes protecting and developing historical and archaeological heritage sites such as Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, as well as Tilaurakot in Kapilvastu, Devdaha, and Ramgram, while enhancing their international recognition.
Implementing the incomplete Lumbini master plan, scientifically conserving heritage sites, managing tourism in an orderly manner, and strengthening ties with the international Buddhist community are among the Trust’s major challenges.
Pandey’s appointment, given his technical background, is being viewed as an opportunity to introduce professional management, planned infrastructure development, and greater technical discipline into the Trust’s development process.
His experience is expected to be useful in implementing the master plan, ensuring construction quality, promoting the systematic development of heritage sites, and introducing modern management systems.
His main challenge during his tenure will be to balance development with conservation while preserving the prestige of Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After the president authenticated the Ordinance on Special Provisions for Public Officeholders, 2026, issued by the government on May 2, officeholders at the Lumbini Development Trust and other bodies were removed from their positions.
Subsequently, in June, applications were invited for 12 positions at the Trust. A total of 209 people applied for the post of member secretary. Although the government had invited applications, it appointed Pandey, who had not applied for the position.
Deepak Shrestha previously served as member secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust.
