Kathmandu, August 16
Ministry of Tourism has proposed that police personnel be deployed to rescue mountaineers and tourists who fall sick or are injured during their expeditions.
The proposal, prepared by a government-formed committee to look into allegations of ‘fake rescue’, says that tourism entrepreneurs, who intentionally make tourists fall ill and call in rescue choppers to claim hefty sums from insurance companies, will be tried on organised crime charges. According to sources, three chopper companies, six hospitals and eight travel agencies are suspected to have been involved in the scandal.
However, Nepal Police does not have the required helicopters nor the rescuers to carry out operations. Officials say a plan is being drafted to boost the capacity of the police in this regard. The proposal says that police personnel should be given the reigns of rescue missions from this September, but that seems to be far-fetched.
