Gandaki Province Demands Transfer of Conservation Area Authority

Pokhara. Gandaki Province Government has demanded the transfer of authority of conservation areas to the province. The demand for the transfer of conservation areas to the province has been made by proposing a modality from the fifteenth meeting of the Province Development Problem Solving Committee. Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP) fall under Gandaki. These two projects, which cover 16 local levels of the province, have not allowed the lower governments to earn substantial income. The province has demanded that both areas be given to it, citing the obstruction of provincial development, economy, and rights over natural resources. It has been a long time since Gandaki Province has been continuously raising its voice for the transfer of managerial responsibility of ACAP and MCAP to the provincial government. The meeting of the Province Development Problem Solving Committee had previously made decisions demanding the transfer of conservation areas on dates January 29, 2020, January 4, 2022, and July 14, 2024. The federal government, instead, extended the deadline. This year's meeting has put forward an integrated co-management modality to resolve the constitutional division of rights and existing legal complexities among the federal, provincial, and local levels. A modality has been proposed ensuring the partnership of all three levels by making necessary amendments to the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 2029, and the Conservation Area Management Regulations, 2053. However, Gandaki's demand is that the province should be allowed to manage the project areas. ACAP and MCAP collect an entry fee of Rs 3,000 per person from foreign tourists. MCAP alone collected Rs 41.25 million in the fiscal year 2024/25. Last year, 16,671 foreign tourists visited Manaslu. Similarly, millions of rupees collected from herbs and other sources have gone directly into the accounts of the center and the conservation area management committee. ACAP also collected direct revenue of over Rs 1.11 billion from natural resources and tourism last year. It earned about Rs 674.7 million annually from entry fees, while Rs 210 million was collected from restricted areas. The Himalayan climbing fee is Rs 35 million, a separate amount has been collected from electricity royalty, and Rs 200 million was earned from herbs last year. Rs 85.5 million in VAT alone from the entry fee has been paid separately to the federal government. There are 23 operational and 19 under-construction hydropower projects within ACAP. 57 conservation area management committees of ACAP are active at the local level. They have also earned about Rs 38.6 million annually from timber, firewood, and stones. After not receiving the use of resources, the chiefs of all 16 local levels gathered at Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality in Kaski a few years ago and created integrated pressure. They submitted a demand letter to the federal government. Gandaki's Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey also demanded the transfer of conservation areas by meeting the Prime Minister on Monday. According to him, for the successful implementation of federalism, the authority over natural resources and conservation areas must be given to the province. In the meeting, Prime Minister Balen Shah (Balen) responded that there are some legal and constitutional complexities in immediately transferring the conservation areas completely. However, he assured that if the practical difficulties faced by the local and provincial governments in carrying out their work are presented in writing, he will facilitate their resolution. 'He is not rigid about the transfer. But he stated that it is not possible to give it to the lower level at present due to legal complexities,' Pandey said. 'He has asked us to bring the practical difficulties in writing. We will submit that detail.' Pandey said that they will continue to work to get the conservation areas transferred to the province, even if it requires amending the law.