GAYA JI, Feb. 16 -- The ongoing construction of new Buddhist monasteries and the reconstruction or additions to existing monasteries in Bodh Gaya have been halted with immediate effect. Following the consistent complaints that the monasteries are being used for commercial purposes and their construction is not obtaining the approval of the local municipal body and also in light of a civil writ petition filed by the Bodh Gaya Hotel Association in Patna high court, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bihar to resolve the issue, officials said. Gaya district magistrate (DM) Shashank Shubhankar constituted a four-member inquiry committee under the Additional Collector, Law and Order, Gaya, to probe the monasteries located in the Bodhgaya Municipal Council area. Sub-divisional magistrate Gaya Sadar, executive officer Bodhgaya Municipal Council and Bodhgaya circle office are its other members. The committee has been directed to investigate the irregularities in compliance with the rules and regulations of the monasteries located in Bodhgaya, including the number of rooms, accommodation, foreign exchange regulations, commercial use, commercial tax, service tax, map approval from the Municipal Council, information on foreign nationals, and visa verification, in accordance with the instructions given in the proceedings of the meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. The committee has to submit its report within 30 days, the DM said. Officials were preparing a proposal for map approval in the Bodhgaya Municipal Council area and submitting it to the Urban Development and Housing Department. Since there is currently a moratorium on map approvals, until new map approval guidelines are passed, approval by the aforementioned committee is required before any monasteries can be constructed in the Bodhgaya Municipal Council area, the DM added. The Executive Officer, Bodhgaya Municipal Council, has been directed to immediately halt the ongoing construction of new monasteries or new additions to existing monasteries and report to the committee. Bodhgaya is extremely important from a tourism perspective. Over the past few years, a large number of local and international monasteries have opened here, intended for religious purposes....