KATHMANDU, Aug 2: Lawmakers have strongly objected to the practice of granting lease contract to operate resorts inside the Chitwan National Park (CNP) without calling for tender. They stood against the reported preparation by Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara to introduce a proposal to continue the contracts of existing resorts directly to the cabinet. Parliament´s Public Account Committee (PAC) had summoned minister Bohara and secretary Uday Raj Sharma on Sunday seeking clarification on disputes over the extension of lease contract of seven resorts operating inside the CNP. [break]
“What is the reason behind the practice of awarding lease contracts without open competition? Extending the lease contract of existing resorts without competition among bidders is sheer violation of existing rules and regulation,” said lawmaker Rabindra Adhikari. He also demanded with the government to recover the dues to be collected from the resorts at the earliest.
The seven park resorts have not yet cleared royalty and conservation charges amounting to more than Rs 19.2 million.
Standing against the notion to operate the resorts inside the CNP, another Lawmaker Mahendra Dhwaj GC demanded that the park resorts be relocated outside the park as they could have been used by poachers to kill endangered animals.
Parliamentarian Keshab Nepal, demanded there should be the clear policy of the government on whether to lease areas inside the park to run resorts. He also suggested an option to operate hotels only outside the park giving opportunity to the tourists to visit the park.
Speaking on the occasion, Bishwa Bhakta Dulal, another lawmaker, objected the trend of awarding contract without any competition under pressure from former royals and influential persons. “We have no option but to go for competition among aspirants to operate resorts so as to break the past non-competitive practice,” Dulal added.
Lawmaker Narayani Ghimire, strongly objected to the trend of violating rules and regulation while awarding contract to operate resorts.
Similarly, Sunita Shah, another lawmaker, demanded to flush the existing resorts out of the CNP and called for open competition before awarding contracts. Lawmakers Deep Kumar Upadhyay and Min Bahadur Pulami also demanded proper assessment of the impact of resorts on the bio-diversity of the parks.
Speaking on the occasion, minister Bohara said as per the earlier agreement, the government is bound to extend the contract of the resorts.
He also informed that a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday has decided to form a high-level committee to be led by Finance Minister Surendra Pandey to recommend the fate of resorts inside the park.
Forest secretary Uday Raj Sharma said extending lease contract of the resorts without bidding is against the existing National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 1972, its regulation 1973 and Buffer Zone Act 1998.
Related story
State to gain more than Rs 4 billion from Gokarna Forest Resort...
-1200x560-1781083488.webp)
