KATHMANDU, Nov 6: Contradicting with another parliamentary committee´s decision, the sub-committee formed by the parliament´s Committee on Natural Resources and Means (CNRM) has come up with a conclusion that no resort or hotel should be allowed to operate inside the Chitwan National Park (CNP), a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In September, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the parliament had directed the government to allow the seven resorts inside the park to operate until July 15, 2012. It had recommended to the government not to allow any resort or hotel to operate inside the park after the cut off date.
Accusing the PAC of encroaching upon its jurisdiction, the CNRM began investigation into the row over whether to extend the term of the resorts or not.
"We have come up with a conclusion that in view of adverse impact caused on biodiversity and ecology of the national park, no resort should be allowed to operate inside the park at any cost," said a member of the sub-committee requesting anonymity.
The sub-committee headed by Nepali Congress lawmaker Ramesh Rizal finalized its report on Thursday evening and is scheduled to submit it to the full committee of the CNRM on Friday morning. The recommendations will come into effect only after the majority members of the full committee approve them.
The sub-committee clearly stands against allowing construction of any permanent structure inside the park while it has said that if the authorities deem necessity to provide similar services inside CNP in the future, they can do it through only temporary structures. Even these structures (like tents and camps, as some members put it) can be allowed through tender competition by ensuring that there will be no negative impact on the park.
In course of the investigation, the members visited the national park sites, interacted with the locals, hoteliers inside and outside the CNP, consulted experts, talked to ministers concerned, officials and other stakeholders.
The sub-committee has said that the hotels should not be allowed to operate inside the CNP also because the CNRM had instructed the government to shift the resorts outside the park 14 years ago.
The then parliamentary committee headed by lawmaker Sarat Singh Bhandari, who is currently Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, had recommended to shift the hotels from the park premises.
"Though the PAC concluded to allow the resorts to operate inside the park until 2012, the committee itself has clearly analyzed that no resort should be allowed to operate inside the park," the member said.
The seven resorts are operating inside CNP for decades. Their last contract expired on July 15.
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Good decision. I support the decision of CNRM. On environmental ground, no hotel or resort or even their temporary structure, should be allowed inside the park without a detail EIA is done.
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