Pardafas Reporter
Widespread criticisms from general public, media and stakeholders have forced the Minister Culture and Tourism and Civil Aviation to withdraw a plan to allow a restaurant inside the Narayanhiti Palace Museum which once housed former monarchs in the country.
Meanwhile, the MoCTC Minister Prem Bahadur Ale has also formed a five member probe committee to investigate the unlawful leadging of the government property for private ventures to allow restaurants inside the historically important site. The probe committee will be led by the ministry's joint-secretary Hom Prasad Leutel.
Other members include: ministry’s undersecretaries Tek Narayan Paudel, Surya Mani Gautam and Purushottam Khatiwada and section officer Tanka Bahadur Negi who is appointed member-secretary of the probe committee.
The committee has been given a time frame of three days to provide a report to the government upon how and who provided the authority to provide the government owned land area on ledge.
The Narayanhiti Palace Museum and Republic Memorial Management and Operation Committee which are being operated inside the palace are said to have made an agreement with private vendors to allow restaurants inside the palace. However, after the criticism they have back tracked from their decision as they have now claimed to discontinue the ongoing construction works from the private sectors to erect restaurants. Some buildings were seen erected around the western gate of the museum.
Earlier, the media had reported the Narayanhiti Palace Museum scam. The Palace which is now a museum used to become the residence and office of former kings until the country’s transition into republicanism in 2008. It was also revealed later that the new contractions were being underway without the approval from the local government.
It is reported that BPS Leasing and Management had sealed the deal to establish a restaurant inside the palace museum.
