(Updated with corrections, deletion of factual error)
CHITWAN, Jan 22: Four of the seven resorts operating inside Chitwan National Park (CNP) that had suspended operations since last July following a controversy over the renewal of their contracts have resumed operations.
Chitwan Jungle Lodge, Temple Tiger, Island Jungle Resort and Narayani Safari have resumed services after the government extended their operating licenses till 2011-end, keeping in view with Visit Nepal Year 2011. [break]
"However, the two* other resorts have been restricted from resuming the services after they failed to clear the tax dues," said Laxman Prasad Paudel, assistant conservation officer at the park.
The resumption of services by the four resorts, meanwhile, has spurred movement of local and foreign tourists in the CNP. "With the start of the services, we have begun Elephant Safari as well," said Ranjit Subba, general manager of Jungle Island Resort.
He told myrepublica.com that he spent more than Rs 400,000 to bring things back to order. The volume of tourists at present is lean, but Subba said the resort has bookings for February. "Business will get back to normal once visitors start to flock," he added.
At present, all the resorts are catering services to the visitors who had made reservations for this period.
CNP management said that the four resorts got license to resume operations after they cleared the tax dues. Temple Tiger, Island Jungle Resort and Narayani Safari had cleared their tax and fee liabilities when the controversy over license renewal grew, while Chitwan Jungle Lodge had settled the dues only after the license was renewed.
The government had issued operating license to the seven resorts in 1993 for a span of sixteen years. Together they were employing more than 1,400 people. However, closure drove away many workers to start their own business, while some have joined their jobs back in respective resorts.
Meanwhile, two of the remaining resorts continue to cast deserted looks because of their failure to clear dues.
"They did not pay revenue dues to the government and hence their licenses were not renewed," said Paudel, who elaborated that the three resorts have an outstanding tax and fee dues of Rs 15 million.
Statistics of CNP show that Gaida Wildlife Camp is the biggest among the three revenue defaulters. It has dues worth Rs 4.6 million to pay in government revenue and Rs 3.95 to in conservation fee.
Although Poudel had named Tiger Tops, another resort within CNP, as having not cleared the dues, the hotel has already cleared it.**
Machan Wildlife Camp, too, has outstanding revenue due of Rs 401,000 and conservation fee worth Rs 2.80 million to pay to the government.
Prakash Neupane, manager of Gaida Wildlife, said dues of the resort was higher because it had an agreement with the government to settle revenue and fee in installments. As for the renewal of operating license, he said that the company had suffered from a sharp rise in expenses over the last one and a half years and hence, was still in dilemma over resuming operations.
*(Corrected)
** (The earlier report mentioned Tiger Tops as one of the three defaulters. The resort has already cleared its dues. We regret the error. -- Editor)