The resorts are currently closed as their leases expired July 15. Earlier, the resorts got licenses under pressure from the then royal palace to operate inside CNP without competition.
Sources told myrepublica.com that resort owners have exerted pressure on Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Forest Minister Deepak Bohara and other senior party leaders to renew the leases. They have buckled to pressure and are preparing to table a proposal in the cabinet in this regard, it is stated.
But senior bureaucrats said such a move would violate existing law. They said they are not against resorts inside CNP but want to select parties to run them through open bidding.
“Awarding and extending contracts to operate resorts inside the park without calling open tenders is against the existing Buffer Zone Management Regulations and the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Regulations,” sources told myrepublica.com on Thursday.
The law requires fresh bidding before awarding contracts to run resorts inside CNP that shelters endangered wildlife including one-horned rhinos.
“Why not extend contracts by the same process adopted 15 years back?,” Bohara said.
Bohara also said the ministry was pushing for a decision under immense pressure from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Finance Ministry, which expressed concern over possible impact on Visit Nepal Year 2011.
With the expiry of contracts on July 15, the CNP administration ordered closure of the country´s oldest jungle resort Tiger Tops as well as Machan Wildlife Camp, Chitwan Jungle Lodge, Gaida Wildlife Camp, Island Jungle Resort, Narayani Safari Lodge and Temple Tiger.
Source also said some of the resorts have erected permanent structures inside the park in violation of regulations.
Resorts inside the park have been paying Rs 2.2 million to Rs 10 million in royalty and conservation fee to CNP and the National Trust for Nature Conservation respectively, with Tiger Tops the highest contributor.
However, resort owners have been claiming that they should be allowed to run without calling tenders as they have already invested millions in infrastructure.
Around 70 hotels and resorts are operating in and around CNP, the third most popular tourist destination.
“The government move will be detrimental to wildlife tourism in Nepal as it has sent a negative message to the international market,” said Prakash Shrestha, managing director of Machan Wildlife Camp.
The resorts have defaulted millions in royalties and conservation fees, intentionally delaying payment with backing from influential persons, it is also claimed.
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) recently stated that five resorts operating inside CNP are in arrears of Rs 10.9 million in royalties and conservation fee.
CIAA said these hotels owe royalty of Rs 2.97 millions to CNP and conservation fees of Rs 7.93 million to NTNC.
Resorts with dues are Machan Wildlife Resort,Gaida Wildlife Camp, Island Jungle Resort, Chitwan Jungle Lodge and Temple Tiger.
Hotels operating outside CNP have already announced they would protest if the government extends the leases of the jungle resorts.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com
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