Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Minister for Forest and Environment, Birendra Kumar Mahato, has said that the staff of his ministry frequently disregards his directives.
He expressed his frustration with Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker and entrepreneur Deepak Khadka, who visited the ministry on Tuesday to inquire about the prolonged approval process for his resort. According to Khadka, the environment impact assessment (EIA) process of the resort, which he is building in Budhanilkantha, is pending for four years.
In a candid conversation with Khadka, Minister Mahato said he was contemplating punitive measures against the unresponsive staff or even considering resignation. “I am unable to expedite the EIA process without receiving the necessary files from the ministry staff,” he added.
Mahato also said that government secretaries act only when pressure is exerted. “The secretary will now sign the document just because the lawmaker inquired about his file. What about ordinary citizens who are not in a position to exert such pressure?” he questioned. “They say it will be done tomorrow. If it can be done tomorrow, why can’t it be done today?”
In response, lawmaker Khadka said he would initiate a hunger strike at the ministry if the EIA process is delayed further. “They first said the process was affected due to a lack of manpower. Then they asked me to pay a penalty of Rs 500,000 for initiating construction works without conducting an EIA study. Now, they are saying that the building cannot have more than two and a half stories,” Khakda said. “I have already invested Rs 3 billion into the resort.”
He added that goods imported for the resort are stranded at customs due to a delay in the approval of the EIA report.
Secretary Sharma, on the other hand, said construction activities within the buffer zone of the national park must adhere to standards established by the national park office. “These standards are made based on the Act enacted in 2006, and government employees are bound by this law,” Sharma said. “We instructed the Department of Forest to amend the law to remove impractical provisions, but amendments are still pending.”
Khadka is building the Hotel Forest Inn in Budhanilkantha. The resort has 115 rooms.
