Summary:
"The Maitreya project includes construction of the world's tallest Buddha statue in Kushinagar. Projects like this should not eat into agricultural land. However, protests delayed the project and in 2012, the Maitreya Trust decided to move the project to Bodhgaya. Though UP government convinced it to stay back, no progress was made.Since the project has not taken off yet, farmers are still tilling on the acquired land adjacent to the main Buddha temple at the Mahaparinirvan Sthal. Local farmers were not taken into confidence..