Kathmandu, January 5

The International Relations and Labour Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has directed the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) to make arrangements for running tourism-related plans with a budget of less than Rs six million through the Tourism Office and under the consumer committees.

A meeting of house committee today, however, directed Department of Tourism to directly operate bigger tourism promotion related projects of strategic importance.

Committee President Prabhu Saha said the committee also took a decision that projects that cannot be undertaken through consumer committees could be implemented through other means as well.

Likewise, the meeting has issued directives to stop manipulation by Tourism Promotion Committee of projects operated through Tourism Office and running the projects that are not feasible to be implemented by Tourism Office through District Development Committees.

It has issued directives to the ministries concerned and the Ministry of Finance to select the projects recommended by the District Council in a transparent manner and keep the same in priority.

The committee also directed the concerned ministry to immediately lay off employees hired on contract and wage basis in different bodies, including the Tourism Office, by fulfilling the legal process.