Kathmandu, Feb 12: Nepal has suspended the licence of a mountainous resort for three months due to poor security management and managerial weakness at the hotel where eight Indian tourists, including four minors, died of possible asphyxiation, according to media reports.
Kathmandu: Nepal has suspended the licence of a mountainous resort for three months due to poor security management and managerial weakness at the hotel where eight Indian tourists, including four minors, died of possible asphyxiation, according to media reports.
Tragedy struck a group of 15 tourists from Kerala when eight of them died on January 21 due to possible asphyxiation after they fell unconscious probably due to a gas leak from a heater in their room at a mountainous resort in Makwanpur district.
The tourists were airlifted to HAMS hospital here where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Makwanpur police said the victims might have fallen unconscious due to asphyxiation.
The Department of Tourism on Sunday imposed a ban on the operation of Daman-based Everest Panorama Resort for three months based on the report submitted by a probe committee formed to investigate the death of the Indian tourists from Kerala, the Kathmandu Post reported on Tuesday.
The department decided to shut down the resort as the report submitted by a probe committee pointed out poor security management and managerial weakness at the resort for the incident, it said.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had formed the probe committee under Surendra Thapa, the director of the Department of Tourism. After a field inspection, the committee had submitted its report a few days ago, pointing to the shortcomings of the resort.
During the investigation, the committee found the resort had not been following the recommended safety measures and was providing substandard services to its guests, The Himalayan Times reported.
Moreover, the committee discovered that the resort had not fulfilled the criteria set by DoT to be categorised a 'resort', it said.
Mira Acharya, director of DoT was quoted as saying by the report that the resort's operations have been halted as per Section 15 of Tourism Act-1979.
"If the resort owner wishes to resume services after three months of suspension, the resort should be upgraded as per the Hotel, Lodge, Restaurant, Bar and Tourist Guide Rules-1981 and also meet the criteria mentioned in a notice published in the Nepal Gazette under the title 'Hotel Classification and Criteria'," Acharya said.
She added that the resort would also have to undergo the Environment Impact Assessment to get the permission from DoT to resume operation.
Meanwhile, the resort management has said that they will work towards meeting the standards fixed by the department and run the resort efficiently.
"We will work towards meeting the standards fixed by the department and run the resort efficiently. We are saddened by the tragic incident. We will ensure that such incidents don't occur in the future,” said Sudesh Gautam, the operator of the resort was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.
The group, after travelling to Pokhara -- a popular mountainous tourist destination -- was on their way back home and stayed at Everest Panorama Resort in Daman.
Those who were killed were Praveen Krishnan Nair, his wife Saranya Sasi and their three children and Ranjith Kumar Adatholath Punathil, his wife Indu Lakshmi Peethambaran Ragalatha and their son.
Everest Panorama Resort was established 28 years ago in Daman Simbhajyang area, a tourist destination in Bagmati Province. The tourist numbers, according to Thaha Hotel Association, have plunged after the tragic accident of January 27.
Palaraj, a resident of Kunduru colony, said it was true that he had killed a cow for food. “But, is it right on the part of Bajrang Dal members to beat us black and blue. Is their act justified,” he sought to know.
Comments
Modi govt has failed miserably in protecting minorities rights in the country..
Yours is one of the worst sites I have come across - disabling both Control+v and Control+c etc. Shame on you.
There is a Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 in force in Karnataka, Section 4 of which lays down: \4. Prohibition of Slaughter of Cow or Calf of She-buffalo:- Not withstanding any law, usage or custom to the contrary, no person shall slaughter or cause to be slaughtered, or offer or cause to be offered for slaughter or otherwise intentionally kill or offer or cause to be offered for killing any cow or calf of she-buffalo.\" The law is framed by Congress government four decades back and is very much in force. As such, what the dalits did was illegal - a crime - for which they are liable to 6 months imprisonment or fine or both. Well, that does not give license to vigilantes of any party or organization to take law into their own hands and beat them up either. The only course was to stop the killing if possible, or seize the slaughtered cow (carcass) etc. and hand over to the police. If the police do not act, then they could agitate in public, etc. So both parties are wrong on this occasion."
NRI PM S ACCHE DIN FOR INDIANS
The day Mr. Narendra Modi became prime minister , all such goondasm raised in our country. Narendra Modi can't talk because these are the part of his mentor (RSS) programmes.
These goons (Bhajrangis) are paid goons of BJP.
Time has come for Daliths and Minorities to stand against these criminals.
This is Karnataka not Gujurat. Strict punishment should be handed out to the perpetrators of such a heinous crime. As per the Constitution people are free to eat what they please. Why should the Bajrang Dal or anyone get offended if anybody eats beef.
BD will get their reward from the devils who inspire them to do such acts... Devils are permanent residence in HELL... it is easy for them to take human to HELL when people encourage EvIL in the society... Evil in the society spreads when People dont Ponder or want to know about the CREATOR of all that exists...
ISLAM says no one will escape of their crime, A day will be there to JUDGE all that happened in this EARTH. and JUSTICE will be done by the CREATOR who created U me and all that exists.
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