Lo Chhodung Sports and Youths Development Committee, which consists of representatives from seven villages of Upper Mustang area, has decided to bar tourists from trekking in this popular destination from October 1, accusing the government of not implementing a past agreement struck with it.[break]
Last year, following the villagers´ threat to stop tourist entry into Upper Mustang area, the government had agreed to provide 60 per cent of the total royalty collected from tourists visiting this trekking area.
“We are forced to take a bitter decision after the government failed to honor its own written pledge,” Chhewang Jhigme Bishta, secretary of the committee, said.
The committee has written to District Administration Office and District Development Committee of Mustang to inform the government about its decision. The committee has accused the government of not allocating adequate budget and neglect toward the conservation of flora and fauna and infrastructure development in Upper Mustang.
Upper Mustang area was opened for foreign tourists in 1992. Locals say the then government had promised to allocate 60 per cent of the total royalty collected every year from Upper Mustang to conserve and develop this area. Locals have been demanding 60 per cent share of the royalty collected from Upper Mustang based on that promise.
Raju Adhikari, a local development officer of Mustan Raju, says a district-level government agency can not address the demands put forth by the villagers.
“The government has been collecting a hefty royalty from tourists visiting Upper Mustang,” Adhikari says. “But it sends back only 30 per cent of the total royalty for development of Upper Mustang. Local agency alone can not do anything in such situation.”
Foreign tourists pay US$ 500 per person for a 10-day stay in Upper Mustang area. They have to pay extra 50 dollars for every additional day. In 1993, the government collected US$ 537,600 as royalty from 768 foreign tourists who visited Upper Mustang that year. The government had provided $ 322,560 for development of Upper Mustang area as per its assurance.
Locals say the government has never allocated 60 per cent of the total budget since 1994. According to Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), at least 18,000 tourists visited Upper Mustang from 1994 to 2010. The government collected around US$ 9 million during this period.
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