Kathmandu, January 12
Batas Organization, a business group that has recently been involved in a number of disputes, has asserted that its operations at the Pashupati dharmashala and the Narayanhiti Palace Museum are lawful, and that it is prepared to face legal punishment if anything is discovered to be illegal.
Ananda Raj Batas, the group’s president, said in a statement on Wednesday that the media did not ask for his opinion on the concerns.
According to recent reports, the organization has been operating a hotel in a dharmashala
erected by the Indian government for poor pilgrims visiting Pashupatinath.
Furthermore, a firm in the group, BPS Leasing and Management, was discovered to have inked an arrangement with the Narayanhiti Palace Museum and Republic Memorial Management and Operation Committee to operate a restaurant on the museum grounds.
The government suspended the agreement’s implementation after media and others objected, claiming that it would cause damage to the heritage site and that the negotiated fee was insignificant.
By Karuna Thapa
