Ruling and opposition party leaders are strongly opposed to the government’s decision to host the International Indian Film Academy awards in Kathmandu.

Numerous leaders the Post spoke to on Sunday said that they would be calling on the government to immediately cancel plans to host an event that will cost the country millions without tangible outcomes for the promotion of Nepal’s tourism, a claim both the KP Sharma Oli administration and the Nepal Tourism Board have made. The government, said leaders on both sides of the aisle, needs to find alternative means to attract tourists.

“This is a ridiculous idea to promote tourism,” said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, the spokesperson for the ruling Nepal Communist Party. “This is a kind of Gai Jatra.”

Shrestha was critical of the government’s decision to not only host the annual Bollywood film awards but to also provide millions to the organisers to bring the ceremony to Kathmandu.

“How can the Nepal government dole out close to a billion rupees to host a Hindi film event in Nepal?” said Shrestha.

On June 20, a Cabinet meeting approved a proposal to host the International Indian Films Academy Awards 2019 in Kathmandu at the end of August. As per preliminary budget estimates, the event would require the Nepal Tourism Board to pay the organiser $4 million to $6 million in cash, excluding other expenditures like logistics and transportation.

The event organiser, Wizcraft International Entertainment, along with the Nepal Tourism Board, had earlier briefed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and a few ministers about the award ceremony’s massive viewership across the globe, pointing out the potential for showcasing Nepal to high-end Indian tourists. The government had asked the Board to hold negotiations, before deciding to facilitate immigration, customs and security for the guests.

The three-day event has tentatively been proposed to begin on August 29, with more than 500 celebrities participating. The organiser has also requested hotels in Kathmandu to provide free or concessional room and board for guests.

In a rare instance, the IIFA awards appear to have brought together political leaders from the ruling and opposition parties.

Minendra Rijal, a top leader from the opposition Nepali Congress, also questioned the rationale behind inviting Bollywood stars to promote tourism in Nepal.

“Why is the government spending one billion rupees for this function? If we spend that amount in India, China or other countries, it will make a bigger difference than what IIFA can offer,” said Rijal.

The Congress leader further expressed reservations over hosting the event inside the headquarters of Nepal Army, the planned venue for the awards.

“Nepal Army headquarters has turned itself into a party palace,” he said.

But some officials in the Oli administration have defended the decision to host the awards in Kathmandu, claiming that the government itself is not spending anything to host the event.

“The government will only facilitate security arrangements and ease logistics like immigration and customs,” Kundan Aryal, Oli’s press adviser, told the Post. “The government has accepted that the event will be instrumental in promoting Nepal’s tourism across the globe and is expected to bring high-end tourists to Nepal.”

As the controversy continued to brew on and off social media, the Nepal Tourism Board, on Sunday, held a press conference and said that it had yet to negotiate on “cash and kind” and prepare an action plan for the event.

“Initially, we [Nepal Tourism Board] had estimated paying the organiser Wizcraft International $4 million, but negotiations have yet to begin,” said Deepak Raj Joshi, chief executive officer of the Board. This payment excludes airfare, hotels and transportation.

“The board is not fully funding the event,” said Joshi. “We have the private sector and Kathmandu Metropolitan City onboard as event sponsors, but their financial contributions have yet to be announced.”

Joshi reiterated that no funds would be used from the national treasury. Instead, the Board would dip into its own funds, which amounts to more than Rs 1.7 billion, to sponsor the event. Under the public-private partnership model, the government allows the Nepal Tourism Board to collect Rs 1,130 as tourism service fees from all foreigners flying out of Tribhuvan International Airport.

“There is nothing to hide. The first proposal was made by the event organiser some three months ago. After assessing their proposal, we were convinced that such an event would generate great mileage for us,” Joshi said at the press conference.

However, not everyone is convinced. Late Sunday, a rally was held at Maitighar Mandala to protest the planned event.

“How much money has the government provided to promote the Nepali film industry?” said Bhim Rawal, a ruling party leader. “Can anyone tell me how many Indian tourists will visit Nepal after the event and how much will they contribute to our economy?