As per the agreement reached between the government and the resort operators in 2010, the resorts have to move out of the national park by mid-July 2012. [break]
"The hoteliers are putting undue pressure on the government to renew the lease agreement against our instruction two years back. We will leave no stone unturned to make sure that they (resorts) move out within the stipulated deadline," Shanta Chaudhary, then chairman of the NRMC told Republica on Monday. She also said former members of the committee will meet Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and urge him not to renew the agreement.
Since the last few days, even business associations have begun expressing solidarity to the demand for extension by the six resorts that had agreed two years ago to move out of the world natural heritage site following the instruction from the committee.
Environmentalists have been demanding that the resorts should be removed from the national park at the earliest as they were threatening the wild habitat and biodiversity inside the CNP.
The participants at a program organized by Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), however, were for extension of the deadline that is set to expire in the next 12 days.
The Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), along with other tourism related associations, are also lobbying for extension.
Speaking at the program, FNCCI president Suraj Vaidya claimed forceful relocation of the resorts would spread a negative message among domestic as well as foreign investors.
CNI senior vice-president Narendra Basnet opined that millions of rupees invested to build the resorts would be wasted if the government removed the resorts.
Out of the seven hotels inside CNP, six are still in operation. Gainda Wildlife Camp had shut operations about two years ago due to labor unrest.
The other hotels include Tiger Tops, Narayani Safari, Chitwan Jungle Lodge, Machan Wildlife Resort, Island Jungle Resort and Temple Tiger. Although the government had offered to provide other privileges if the hotels voluntarily moved out by 2010, not a single resort expressed interest to shift base in the hopes of securing lease extension.
The lease agreement between the resorts and the government had expired in 2009 but was extended up to mid-July, 2012 in view of Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011.
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