The PAC had given its nod for a three-year extension in view of the upcoming Nepal Tourism Year 2011, but the Forest and Soil Conservation sub-committee of NRMC has concluded that such resorts have a ‘negative impact’ on biodiversity and the wildlife habitat inside CNP, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Both parliamentary committees have raised valid concerns. So it should not be difficult for them to jointly address the issue and come up with a definite conclusion soon as both natural resources and conservations aspects as well as the violation of financial rules and regulations are involved. The hotels and resorts have remained closed since July 15 when their lease contracts of 15 years expired. It is high time the committees decided the fate of these establishments and set a deadline for a new process to begin. We ask the two parliamentary committees to urgently resolve their dispute so far as allowing the resorts to continue operating inside the park for three more years is concerned.
This newspaper has already argued the line of some senior bureaucrats that the contracts should now be awarded through international competition to maximize revenue and royalties, even if these are for operating inside the park for only about three years. And the resorts should be made to strictly adhere to environmental norms so that they do not harm the ecological balance in the national park. The seven resorts – Tiger Tops, Machan Wildlife Camp, Chitwan Jungle Lodge, Gaida Wildlife Camp, Jungle Island Resort, Narayani Safari Lodge and Temple Tiger – which have claimed that the NRMC decision was imposed on them unfairly, also stand a good chance of staging a comeback through the bidding process itself. It will be better for all concerned if the issue is settled as soon as possible.
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