CTA okays dollar 4 million for Tibetan town project in US

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has decided to extend a loan of $4 million for the construction a Tibetan town project in Minnesota state of the USA. The budget for the project was passed in the recently concluded session of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.

The Tibetan town project, also known as “Little Tibet”, is an innovative green town initiative being brought up by the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. It is designed to accommodate around 5,000 Tibetan Americans in Minnesota and aims to preserve Tibetan heritage and identity while incorporating eco-friendly infrastructure. The development plan includes residential areas, shops, restaurants, healthcare facilities, spiritual and cultural centres, daycare and fitness institutions, museums, offices, community spaces and parks tailored for the Tibetan American community. The project is estimated to be completed in three to five years.

In the recent budget session of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, parliamentarians had moved a resolution, demanding a cut in the budget for the proposed Tibetan town project in Minnesota. However, the resolution could not pass the floor test.

The resolution was tabled by MP Serta Tsultrim, who raised financial and logistical concerns regarding the CTA proposed $4 million loan for the initiative. He argued that given the CTA’s current financial standing, such an investment was not justifiable.

He pointed out that the project’s overseeing members had not attempted to crowd-fund from around 300 interested households, questioning their commitment towards financial self-sufficiency. Serta cautioned that if the CTA extended financial support to the Tibet Support Group now, it may be obligated to do so for other groups in the future.

Himachal Tribune