Agitating Sauraha Mahouts halt safari

The Kathmandu Post Sauraha, Dec. 17 The UCPN ( Maoist)- affiliated Mahout- Phanit Regional Committee ( MPRC) has stopped the elephant safari service in Sauraha, Chitwan for the past two days. Scores of visiting tourists have been deprived oif elephant safari, a major attraction of tourist hub Sauraha. The coordinator of htr Maoist Closed Hotel And Restaurant Regional Committee, Bikash Chhetri, said the elephant safari will remain off until Jan 1. “We were compelled to launch the protest programme as enterpreneurs were reluctant to implement the grade system and fix a minimum scale the monthly salary”.Chhetri said. The MPRC has been agitating for the past three week demanding an increase in perks and salaries of mahouts and phanits to Rs 7,500/- Phanits are two ranks above mahouts, which entiles then to handle an elephant in all formal functions. Keeping in view the tourists demand for the service, some safari operators conducted the safari them selves on Thursday and Friday. meanwhile, Maoist activists are prepariung to obstruct the tourist’ movement in the area from Saturday, alleging that the entrepreneurs are trying water down their protest. Agitating workers and entrepreneurs have hela d series of talk but no avail. the entreprenuers have ageried to increas the salary to Rs 5100 and 5200 for mahouts and phanits respectively and give to seven percent increment on their salary annually. “Other employees won’t remail silent after salary increment of 80 mahouts. there are about 2000 employees in Sauraha. The entrepreneurs will have to close their business if they are forced to pay rs 7500 monthly salary to the employees.” said Shankar Sainju, chairman of the Regionakl hotel Association. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs are workiong on a war footing to make the Internationl Elephant Race, that will kep off from Dec. 26, a grand success. they claimed that the elephant racxe will organised despite the workers protest. ina press meet on Friday, the entreprenuers said that the international tournament will be held on Shedule at any cost,