A cabinet meeting at Singha Durbar Friday morning decided to release the amount to the expedition named Lumbini-Sagarmatha Campaign. [break]
The 11-member expedition purportedly meant for timely peace and a new statute has members from various sister organizations of the Maoist party including Chairman Dahal´s ex-bodyguards.
Sources said Dahal had long been pressuring Prime Minister Bhattarai to release Rs 30 million for the expedition. The cabinet on Friday took the decision, acting on a ´direct proposal´ from Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bista Magar.
The expedition will be lead by Maoist Central Committee member Krishna KC and Chairman Dahal´s son Prakash will be co-leader. Other members of the team include PLA brigade commanders Saral Sahayatri Paudel and Yuvaraj Dulal, Shiva Dangi of the Kochila State Committee and Maheshwor Phuyal of Newa State Committee.
Maoist affiliated ANNISU-R Central Committee member Madan Chudal, prime minister´s official photographer Dinesh Shrestha, Free Student Union President at Saraswati Campus Bina Magar and Maoist student leader Ishu Bhattarai are also among members of the expedition.
Sources said the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has already agreed to waive the total mountaineering royalty of $110,000, ($10,000 for each member) for the Maoist team.
The decision comes in stark contrast to the commitment made by Prime Minister Bhattarai, who rides a Nepal-assembled Mustang Max, to observe austerity. Bhattarai flew economy class during his trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
Earlier, the Jhala Nath Khanal-led cabinet last year had given Rs 30 million for a 15-member civil servants´ Everest Expedition under the banner of Nepal´s national tourism campaign ´Nepal Tourism Year 2011´. The expedition of civil servants can in no way be compared with the one being led by KC, argued former minister for tourism and civil aviation Pradip Gyawali.
Gyawali, who is also spokesperson of the CPN-UML, said the government had given limited financial support in some exceptional cases such as woman expedition member Pasang Lama Sherpa, oldest climber Min Bahadur Sherchan and civil servants who wanted to boost the morale of the civil service as a whole.
“But this expedition is purely a political mission comprising Maoists cadres. This is naked misuse of the national treasury. It has no justification,” he said.
The government´s decision has also drawn flak from other political parties including ruling ones.
Main opposition party Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa satirically asked Prime Minister Bhattarai to allocate an additional Rs 1 billion for Everest expeditions. “I humbly request the prime minister to allocate an additional Rs 1 billion for Mt Everest climbs. Many other Nepali youths are willing to climb Everest with all enthusiasm for the sake of timely peace and statute,” he said.
Joint General Secretary of ruling Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Jitendra Sonar said the allocation of such a huge amount for the expedition is gross misuse of state coffers.
“It´s not bad to climb Everest in the name of peace and statute. But the large amount that has been released by the government is in no way appropriate and justifiable for a poor country like Nepal,” he said.
Meanwhile, NC-affiliated Nepal Tarun Dal (NTD) in a statement denounced the government´s decision. NTD while asking the government to immediately revoke the decision has warned of stringent protests if the decision is not revoked.
Likewise, CPN-UML affiliated Youth Association Nepal (YAN) staged protests in the capital demanding that the government immediately withdraw the decision.
According to YAN Secretary Rachana Khadka, they staged protest rally at Baneshwor Chowk. “We will unveil further protest programs if the decision is not revoked. This is a misuse of state coffers,” she said.
YCL protests PLA decision
Agitating leaders of Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) have expressed strong reservation over the decision of the Maoists´ PLA General Staff meeting to provide Rs 1.4 million -- Rs 200,000 each from seven PLA divisions -- for the Mount Everest bid.
PLA Chief Nanda Kishor Pun had announced the support during a meeting of PLA commanders, YCL leaders and top Maoist leaders. YCL leaders have protested the decision arguing that someone climbing Mount Everest would not help ensure peace and new constitution.
“Instead of addressing genuine concerns of YCL and providing support to party cadres, the PLA has decided to provide money for useless purpose,” said YCL Limbuwan State Committee Vice Coordinator Indra Angbuhang. “This is not acceptable to us.”
´Expedition for peace, statute´The government´s decision to allocate Rs 20 million for your expedition has come under fire. What´s your say on the protests against the decision?
I don´t know why the government´s decision is being protested. There is no point in protesting the government decision. We had asked the tourism ministry to allocate the amount.
How much had you demanded for the expedition?
We had demanded a total of Rs 30 million.
But some are arguing that your father [Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal] exerted pressure on the prime minister to release the amount.
It is cent percent false. We had just informed the prime minister about our expedition. This could be an attempt to defame the Maoist chairman and me.
But how did the media come to know that the Maoist chairman had exerted pressure on the prime minister?
We had received our certificates from Prime Minister Bhattarai in Baluwatar after our successful ascent of Lamtang. He had then assured us of help. The prime minister was very happy. But as some of his aides were not happy about the prime minister´s assurance to help us, they gave false information to the media. The rumors have been solely designed to defame the chairman and me.
What do you say on the protests?
It is absolutely not necessary. We are going to climb Mount Everest for the country and its people to ensure peace and new constitution.
But how will your expedition ensure peace and constitution in the country?
We are going to climb Mount Everest risking our lives. We don´t know whether we will be able to return safely. But it will exert pressure on the parties to conclude the peace process and promulgate the new constitution on time.
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