Kathmandu, February 8

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)’s board got its full shape today after Tourism Minister Ananda Prasad Pokharel appointed two members from the private sector. Minister Pokharel has appointed Krishna Aryal and Purna Kunwar from the private sector and they will serve on the NTB’s board of directors for next three years.

The post of two board members had remained vacant since April 3 of last year after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed a graft case against 23 NTB staff, including a number of board members.

On Thursday, Minister Pokharel had formed a selection subcommittee under the leadership of joint secretary of planning division of tourism ministry comprising two members from private sector — Binayak Shah, general secretary of Hotel Association Nepal and Hari Dharel, former general secretary of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) — to recommend the names of potential candidates.

Based on the recommended names, a meeting of the selection committee led by Minister Pokharel decided today to

appoint Aryal and Kunwar.

Aryal is the managing director of House of Travel and Adventure Pvt Ltd and Kunwar is owner of Multi Tours Pvt Ltd and both the appointees have close links with the CPN-UML party, with which Minister Pokharel is affiliated.

An 11-member NTB board includes five board of directors from the private sector and equal number of appointees from the government. CEO of the NTB is the member secretary of the board.

Apart from newly appointed duo, Ghanendra Shrestha, Rajendra Sapkota and Phurwa Gyalzen Sherpa represent the private sector in NTB’s board.

Similarly, joint secretary from the ministry of tourism, director general of the Department of Immigration, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and director general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation represent the government as members in tourism secretary-led board.

CEO of NTB Deepak Raj Joshi is the member secretary of the board.