Indian tourists barred from visiting Muktinath

Ten Indian tourists heading to the famous Hindu shrine of Muktinath from Pokhara have been compelled to return to the tourist city after the notorious transport syndicate operators in Mustang barred their vehicle from entering the Beni-Jomsom road.

Due to syndicate system in the district, the entry of the vehicle hired by the Indian nationals from Pokhara was returned from Beni three days ago.

“The tourists did not like to travel in the vehicles of local transport entrepreneurs after our vehicle, carrying them, was barred to enter the road section. Therefore, they were compelled to return to Pokhara from the midway,” said Shishir Subedi, Managing Director of Trithunga Tours and Travels, which was managing the tour.

Subedi further said, “Earlier five vehicles carrying 24 tourists, which were hired at Rs 70,000 each were not allowed to enter Mustang. While some of them decided to head for Mustang in vehicles operated by the local transport syndicate, others returned dejected.”

“We had to bear all the expenses of accommodation for those who had returned after we failed to take them to Muktinath as per our agreement. They did not even pay for the vehicle,” said he.

“The Indian tourists said that they felt humiliated by such harsh behavior of the local syndicate and they have even said that they would caution their friends and kin against visiting Nepal.”

Before this incident, the syndicate used to allow vehicles hired by tourists up to Ghasa, which is the entry point to Mustang.

The syndicate is plaguing tourism sector, according to Pom Narayan Shrestha, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Pokhara Chapter.

“This is the peak season for the Indian tourists in Nepal. This kind of obstruction might badly affect us. The inconvenience caused to them is likely to defame our country´s name as well as it might cause further damage to the tourism sector after the tourists will go on to report about the harassment to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.”

“Indian tourists tend to visit Nepal this season to avoid hot and torpid summer back home. But many of them feel offended due to this syndicate. The local administration has also failed to cooperate with us in this matter,” added Shrestha.

However, denying the allegations, President of Mustang Bus and Jeep Entrepreneur Committee Surat KC said, “We have not prohibited the entry of tourist vehicles with green plate numbers along the Beni-Jomsom road. However, we won´t allow tour operators to carry common passengers in the pretext of Indian tourists.”

DIG Bam Bahadur Bhandari at the Western Regional Police Office said that it´s high time the government banned the syndicate.

“We already have a lot of instances of the ill effects of the syndicate, and have also launched our initiative to foil the illegal system,” he said. “The government should step in to settle this problem for good.”