Nepal Tourism Board NTB has sought clarification from its CEO Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi. The clarification comes after a probe committee formed to investigate allegations of abuse of authority and financial irregularities against Regmi submits its report to the Board’s chairperson Tourism Secretary Maheshwar Neupane.
As per the report, Regmi has been found involved in financial irregularities. The probe committee led by vice-chair Chandra Rijal has proposed action against Regmi citing irregularities from the latter’s side.
Along with this, the report also states that Regmi hid the fact he had faced actions in 2017 when he brought gold illegally into the country. The report has questioned his morals and values.
He has also been accused of spending excess money in course of the transfer of NTB officials and taking an insufficient number of tourism operators to the World Travel Mart in London despite spending the budget of Rs 10 million for the same purpose. As per the NTB rules, the Board has to take 10 people, however, he only took six. Tourism entrepreneurs go to such fairs at their own expense. He is also found to be involved in fund embezzlement during the maintenance of the CEO’s office.
Likewise, an agreement he had forged with the Tribhuvan University about the installation of the Rs 47 million geographical information system has also come under scrutiny by the Committee.
The Board has said it will take required action following the going through of the investigation report.
Before this, last October, Regmi was also involved in a controversy after accusations surfaced about him that he manhandled a customs official at the Tribhuvan International Airport when he was asked to pay a fine for bringing liquor bottles more than allowed.
A few rumors are also doing the round that former Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and CPN-UML leader Yogesh Bhattarai had appointed him with a deal in exchange for some favors post the minister’s resignation. Regmi’s name was also pulled in ‘Batash’ controversy that he is a businessman and he helped ‘Batash’ get the tender for the land inside the premises of Narayanihity