This is in reference to the item "Future of KMTNC bleak" (From the Nepali Press, #17) which was translated and reproduced from Deshantar. It sems the reporter was trying to build a case against the King Mahendra Nature Conservation Trust (KMNTC) just because some staff had left the service of the Trust. In fact, among the names mentioned in the news, Siddharth B Bajracharya has not left the Trust but is on study leave to pursue his PhD programme in the UK. Similarly, Anil Ranjit and Mukesh Pudasini had to resign to join UNV, as there is no provision in the Trust regulations to grant unpaid leave as requested. Staff mobility is continuous in any organisation and is a natural process. In fact many reputed national and international non-governmental organisations working in conservation have staff members who once worked with KMNTC. This we believe is the strength of the Trust rather than a weakness.

The Desanthar report has also assumed that SNV and NORAD are withdrawing support from KMNTC. This is misleading. KMNTC is one of few organisations with a reputation for effective utilisation and accountability of funds received from various donors. Donors usually provide support for specific projects or programmes for a period. This is to reduce donor dependency and to make institutions self-reliant and sustainable. Even so, there has been no decrease in support from donors for KMNTC despite competing claims for the limited funds available.

The most-far fetched argument in the report is the mention of a letter by Sir Johan Chapple of KMUKT to imply that the letter itself was a reflection on the weakness of management. Both the information and the interpretation are misleading and malicious.

It is unfortunate that the Deshantar staff reporter has tried to put together unrelated bits of news and gossip to fabricate a damaging article about the Trust.

Arun Rijal
Director, Information and Public Relations
KMNTC