Maitreya Project Update

November, 2001

As a result of the present political climate in Bihar, India, bureaucratic delays have so far resulted in three postponements to commencement of construction on the Maitreya Project site in Bodhgaya, Bihar. To avoid further delays and the resulting escalation of costs, it has therefore become necessary for Maitreya Project to seriously consider moving to a different site outside of Bihar State.

Accordingly, Maitreya Project recently approached the adjacent states of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh to determine the level of receptivity towards a possible relocation of Maitreya Project to those states. Both Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic in their responses. In acknowledgement of the major benefits Maitreya Project will bring to any local and wider community, more than ten land sites in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh are being offered to the Project by the respective state governments.

In light of these extremely attractive alternatives, and crucially, to avoid the risk of abortive work and costs, the Maitreya Project International Board made the decision to temporarily freeze any further detailed design and engineering work until a full evaluation of these recent new site opportunities has been made.

No decision regarding the question of site has been made at this time and the Project team is working in India to fully evaluate the implications of all new alternatives. Detailed design, development and site work will recommence immediately following a final decision as to a possible relocation.

If the Project takes the decision to move to one of the other sites, Maitreya Project's Universal Education School will in all probability remain in Bodhgaya.

From one perspective this is a disruption to our earlier construction plan. On the other hand, the new opportunities that our enquiries have opened up potentially afford the Project the opportunity to plan a far greater degree of long term development than would be possible on the current Bodhgaya site. These are major decisions and we look forward to providing updates as soon as the Project team in India have concluded their evaluation.