NATA to boost tourism market

Kathmandu, Sept. 29 (RSS): Nepal Association of Travel Agents (NATA) will introduce a special program in collaboration with His Majesty’s Government to develop and expand the tourism sector and contribute to the economy of the country.

Giving this information at a programme organised by NATA here yesterday, newly elected NATA president Jaya Dewan said that it was necessary to introduce a practical programme to safeguard the tourism industry which has been facing serious problems as a result of murder, violence, chakka jam and Nepal bandh activities taking place within the country as well as terrorist activities taking place outside the country.

On the occasion the participants stressed the need to introduce Nepal in the international arena through entrepreneurs involved in tourism sector, provide jobs to thousands of people, improve the declining economy of the country and the private sector and government to jointly work for institutional development and expansion of domestic tourism.

‘Renewable energy benefits people’

Kathmandu, Sept. 29 (RSS): Centre for Energy Studies (CES), Institute of Engineering (IOE/TU) organised a three-day awareness programme on Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) for chairmen of the district development committees of 15 districts here yesterday.

This awareness programme was sponsored by Winrock International and USAID.

Addressing the participants, Prithvi Raj Ligal, vice-chairman of National Planning Commission, said that there were many possibilities of using renewable energy technologies for income generating activities in the rural area of Nepal.

Prof. Jagannath Shrestha, director of Centre for Energy Studies, said that the application of RETs could play a significant role not only in employment generation through productive appropriate energy end use and improvement of quality of life in the rural areas but also in substitution of fuel wood.

Speaking at a closing ceremony, Prof. (Dr) Jib Raj Pokharel, Dean of IOE mentioned that appropriate utilisation of RETs could reduce the use of imported fossil fuel and contribute to saving foreign exchange, improving environment in Nepal and reducing global warming.

Ratna Sansar Shrestha, senior advisor at Winrock International urged that local resources should be utilised by involving the local people so that they can benefit directly.

The participants expressed the view that they had benefitted a lot from the awareness programme.

They said that such programmes should be organised for the officials of the National Planning Commission as well as the concerned ministries.

Bhaktapur should save its identity: Rohit

Bhaktapur, Sept. 29 (RSS): President of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and MP Narayan Man Bijukchhe, inaugurating the 2nd annual meeting of the Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee here, said that everyone should be involved in conserving the cultural heritage of touristic importance in the country.

Stating that many European and a few Chinese tourists visit Bhaktapur to witness the cultural heritage being conserved here, Bijukchhe said that the taxes collected from the tourists visiting Bhaktapur were being used to conserve the cultural heritage of Bhaktapur district.

Chairman of the Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee Nil Krishna Tamrakar, from the chair, said that the people of Bhaktapur district were involved in agriculture as well as tourism industry.

Vice-chairman of the committee Kedar Raj Subedi, member Chudamani Kayastha, NATA president Jaya Dewan, Madan Krishna Shrestha of the Tourist Guide Association, first vice-president of Bhaktapur Chamber of Industry and Commerce Yubak Rajbhandary and others stressed the need to promote tourism industry which has been moving in the downward trend these days.

Also today, president of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and MP Narayan Man Bijukchhe, inaugurating the 9th Town Council of Bhaktapur Municipality. Stressed the need to develop Bhaktapur into a cultural model city.

Presenting a budget of Rs. 169,612,000 for the fiscal year 2058/59, mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality Prem Suwal said that 53 per cent of the budget had been allocated for conserving the cultural heritage, maintaing cleanliness and education under town development programme.

At the function chaired by elderly town council member Jagat Bahadur Manandhar, deputy mayor Chaityaraj Shakya, DDC chairman Govinda Duwal, chief district officer Prem Narayan Sharma, ward chairman Gyan Bahadur Nyaichain, chief of the ancient memorial and Bhaktapur Durbar maintenance office Bisworaj Karki, Madan Krishna Hada and others also expressed their views.