KATHMANDU, JANUARY 26

The government has terminated a contract with the private vendor Batas Group related to the operation of Nepal-India Friendship Pashupati Dharmashala, a pilgrimage rest house located at Tilganga, in Kathmandu.

The contract was made defunct by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale himself following reports of foul play on the part of vendor who was authorised to operate the Dharmashala.

Minister Ale informed the media that the contract made earlier with the Batas Group for operation of the Dharmashala had been terminated.

He further said the termination of contract for operation of the rest house was made through a ministry-level decision. 'We took the decision to withdraw the contract on the recommendation of a probe committee. With this, the Batas Group would not operate the Dharmashala,' he said during a press meet.

The government had also formed a probe committee under the coordination of Pashupati Area Development Trust Treasurer Narayan Subedi after reports of embezzlement by the Batas Group surfaced in other places. The probe panel had submitted a report to the government saying that the contractor had made unscrupulous deals while operating the Dharmashala.

The Batas Group has been accused of charging high price to clients at the Dharmashala, which was constructed by the PADT with the assistance of the Indian government to serve pilgrims.

The monitoring team also found discrepancies between the number of beds during the construction period and at the time of signing the contract, changes being made in hotel rate, lack of payment of rent to the PADT, and construction of various structures and offices at the Dharmashala. Minister Ale had monitored the Dharmashala after the public allegation came to light. He had also made the statements that the Batas Group was involved in foul play.

Talking to THT over phone, Subedi said the vendor had operated the rest house at the pilgrimage site as a luxury hotel and charged money from visitors defying the approved protocols. The group had also built additional infrastructure inside the Dharmashala that were not approved by the government.

'The act of foul play was seen inside the Dharmashala with the sole purpose of earning illegal money,' Subedi said.

Batas Group's foul play had drawn the attention of people after it started constructing physical infrastructure at Narayanhiti Durbar Museum.

It is said he had misused power to gain government-owned sites and public open spaces for operation of income-generating businesses.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 27, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.