Itahari, June 2 (RSS): For the first time, a Province 1-based rafting operator has been elected as a working committee member of Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA). Madan Dhakal, the operator of Tamor River Rafting, which is based in Dharan, has been elected unopposed into the 7-member elected body from the 33th General Convention of NARA held at Kathmandu on Wednesday. Two new appointees would be later on, informed Dhakal.
''Since the inception of NARA on 26 December 1989, nobody from Province 1 were member there'', said Dhakal who had lost his bid for working committee membership by two votes in previous General Convention. Dhakal added, ''It is more interesting that still many rafting operators do not know that we have been running rafting packages in Tamor since 2005.''
Dhakal has been a member under the chair of Shiwa Adhikari who was also elected unopposed. ''We will make tight regulation on illegal rafting operators'', Dhakal informed to RSS speaking from Kathmandu. He added, ''We need NARA membership and registration at Tourism Department for being legal rafting company.''
Dhakal said his entry into the central working committee of the umbrella organization of the rafting agencies' operators of Nepal would help promote rafting rivers of Province 1. ''This will boost rafting promotion of Tamor, Arun and other rafting rivers of Province 1.''
