Supreme Court issues stay order against NTB
Kathmandu Jan 5: Nepal Supreme Court (SC) issued a stay order against the newly formed Nepal Tourism Board’s (NTB) board members during a hearing on petition filed by tourism entrepreneurs Dhurba Narayan Shrestha and Rewat Bahadur Thapa.
The petition was filed by two of the NTB board members Shrestha and Thapa regarding the appointment of new board members in the Nepal Tourism Board replacing them. They claimed that their tenure as the member of the board has not expired.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation had appointed Shrestha and Thapa in the board last year after the then two board members resigned from the board.
Earlier,Nepal Government, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) selected five tourism entrepreneurs from private sector to the governing board of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)on January 3.The MOTCA selected Shyam Sunder Lal Kakshapati, , Phurba Gyalzen Sherpa, Amar Bahadur Shahi, Tikaram Sapkota and Pampha Dhamala from eight names recommended by a committee formed to select new board members.
S.S.Kakshapati is the general secretary of Hotel Association of Nepal, while Sapkota is the president of Pokhara Tourism Council and Sherpa is the former vice-president of Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal.Shahi and Dhamala operate trekking agencies in Kathmandu.
The ministry had formed the selection committee to recommend possible candidates for new team in NTB on December 20.The selection committee included joint secretary at the MoTCA Ranjan Krishna Aryal , tourism entrepreneurs Bodhraj Bhandari from Kaski and Tilak Bahadur Lama from Kavre.
After the selection of the new board members, the NTB formed a three member committee to select new CEO and take the final interview of the shortlisted 12 candidates for the position of Chief Executive Officer.
The shortlisted candidates for new CEO include Subash Niraula, Dr GyanendraTuladhar, Hari Prasad Sarmah, Bishnu Bahadur GC, Gyaneshwor Prasad Singh Mahato, Dr Raghu Bista, Bhumi Lama, Lok Bahadur Karki, Dr Narayan Krishna Pradhan, Dipak Raj Joshi, Shiva Sharan Thapa, and Hom Bahadur Gurung.
The 11-member governing board of NTB consists of five representatives each from the government and the private sector. The CEO functions as the member-secretary in the governing board. The term of private sector representatives in the board is three years.
The five posts of private sector in the governing board of NTB were vacant after the term of NTB Board members Ganesh Simkhada, Nimi Sherpa and Agni Kandel expired about a month ago.
