KATHMANDU, Sept 12: The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has finally directed the government to allow the seven resorts inside Chitwan National Park (CNP) -- a UNESCO world heritage site -- to operate until July 15, 2012. [break]
A meeting of the PAC on Saturday categorically said that no hotel, lodge or resort will be allowed to operate inside the park under any condition after the cutoff date. The committee said it extended the date until 2012 only in view of the government´s plan to mark 2011 as Nepal Tourism Year.
If any of the resorts opts to shift outside the CNP within a year, it will be allowed to provide its services from outside the park under a new contract for five years. The PAC also directed the government to provide some compensation to resorts which opt to shift outside the park within a year.
The term for all employees working at the resorts will be given continuity after they shift outside the CNP.
"This committee has given the directives along with the options to the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and the Ministry of Environment after consultations with locals, representatives of political parties and other organizations and individuals concerned," the PAC said.
The seven resorts have been operating inside the CNP for decades. The resorts have currently halted their services as their lease expired on July 15. The PAC had earlier instructed them to stop all their services until the committee completes its study.
The committee has directed the government to increase the conservation fee and other royalty payments as per the changed context and to carry out an environment impact assessment for the area within a year.
"There is a need for formulating a policy to prohibit the operation of any hotel, lodge or resort inside the park as it has become essential to protect environment and wildlife at the world heritage site," it said.
Other instructions given by the committee are to rethink increasing several charges for foreign tourists, reduce the huge gap between the charges for elephant entry paid by the hotels. Hotels based outside the park have to pay many times more than hotels inside the park for elephant entry.
It has instructed the government to recover royalty, conservation fee, VAT, income tax and fine amounts due from the resorts within a month before allowing them to resume their services.
"Our main idea is not to allow resorts inside the park," said Maoist lawmaker Narayan Dahal, who headed the subcommittee formed by the PAC to study the issue.
Responding to the decision, Prakash Shrestha, Chairman and Managing Director of Machan Wildlife Resort, one of the seven resorts operating inside the park, said the committee´s decision will have an adverse affect on the tourism industry in general and on Nepal Tourism Year 2011 in particular.
"The government should look at shortening the procedures and letting us resume services as they were before, at the earliest," Shrestha said.
Another parliamentary committee to continue study
The PAC´s decision has been dragged into controversy as another parliamentary committee announced it is to continue investigations into the same matter.
The Committee on Natural Resources and Means (CNRM) has said the PAC had better not take any decision as the CNRM also has taken up the same issue. Accusing the PAC of intruding into its jurisdiction the CNRM started investigations into the resorts row last week. On Thursday, the CNRM had informed in writing about its decision to take up the issue, saying that investigations into national parks fall under its jurisdiction and not under that of the PAC.
"PAC had better not take any decision as we have already informed them about our decision to take up the matter. We will continue our study no matter what they decide," Ramesh Rijal, member of the CNRM, told myrepublica.com.
But PAC Chairman Ram Krishna Yadav said the CNRM´s stand is baseless. "No one can stop us from investigating any cases where financial irregularity is suspected," said Yadav, adding, "Our duty is to study if there is any failing in public accountability."
thira@myrepublica.com
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