Ilam residents call for basic infrastructural development

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 28

A major concern of people from Ilam is its lack of infrastructure for tourism development. Calling for it to be restructured to facilitate tourists to the area, they pointed out that certain parts of Ilam could be made more attractive to international as well as domestic tourists, but are in a forlorn state.

Residents of Ilam have been contributing to its present state of development without any help from the government said Jhalnath Khanal, member of the standing committee of CPN-UML, at a programme on the development of Ilam district, organised by Ilameli Society (IS).

“If strategic planning is done in Ilam, which is already rich in water resources, tea, forest and agriculture, it could develop into a model district of Nepal,’ said Khanal. However, the need of the hour is peace in order for any tourist development to take place, therefore both the government and the Maoists should work towards establishing peace in the country.

Speaking at the programme, Subash Nemwang, chairman of public accounts committee said that on the one hand, budgets are being slashed for security reasons and on the other hand, Maoists are destroying development infrastructure.

Residents of Ilam also expressed concern that Ilam has been included in the Tea Zone and the National Tea Policy of Nepal, but its tea plantations have been privatised and are limited to the control of only a few people.

Committing to develop Ilam’s tourism infrastructure, Subash Niraula of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said that a plan has been devised to develop the route incorporating Sandakpur, Kanchanjanga, Mai Khola. “We can assist in the expansion of tourism, following the assurance and commitment of civil society and members of village development committees (VDC) of Ilam,” he said.

The government has sent experts to Ilam to study its potential as a tourist destination and to assess where it needs additional infrastructure, assured state minister of physical planning and works, Keshav Thapa.