'Remove hotels from CNP by mid-July'

KATHMANDU, Jan 22: The Natural Resources and Means Committee of parliament on Sunday directed the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation to move the hotels in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) elsewhere by mid -July.



The committee has asked the ministry to seek a detailed plan of action from hoteliers inside the park and inform the committee after removing the hotels. The ministry had directed the hotels to submit their exit plan a month ago. [break]



Then Forests Minister Deepak Bohara had given a two-year extension to the hotels after the 15-year deadline to remove the hotels expired last year.



The meeting also directed the forest ministry and the ministry of law present amendments to be made to the acts related to forests, national parks and wild life reserves to parliament within 15 days.



The committee had called the Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai along with finance minister, local development minister and minister for industries on Monday seeking explanation for defying previous directives on forest depletion and illegal operation of stone and quarries. But the meeting has been postponed to January 27 due to the busy schedule of the prime minister.



Minister for Forest Wakil Musalman, forest secretary and director general of the department of forests submitted the report that gave 39 reasons for forest depletion in the Chure Region of Dadeldhura district at Sunday´s meeting.



The committee also asked the forest ministry to come with details about the problems faced in implementation of the committee´s Forests Conservation Problems Study Report 2067 and relevant solutions within 15 days.

Related story

78 hotels including star hotels listed for quarantining air pas...