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More than 30 police officers were fired following the incident
Our reporter
Guides, police officers and tour drivers were allegedly involved in an organised scheme to embezzle a large amount of the monument fees at the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro.
Kunsel learned that more than 30 police officers in Paro have been fired for allegedly accepting bribes and misappropriating entrance fees.
Visitors to Tiger’s Nest Temple are required to pay a monument fee of 1,000 Ngultrum at the ticket office located at Ramthangka at the base of the temple.
Visitors must pay an entrance fee to visit the country’s seven monuments.
These monuments include Taktshang and Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro, the National Memorial Stupa, Changangkha Lhakhang and Tashichhodzong in Thimphu, Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang in Punakha.
The entrance fee to these monuments, except the Paro Tiger’s Nest Monastery, is 500 Ngultrum per person for all foreign visitors, including tourists, official guests and private guests.
In March this year, two monuments in Paro collected 6.6 million ngultrums in monument fees, three monuments in Thimphu collected 4 million ngultrums in monument fees, and two monuments in Punakha collected 7 million ngultrums in monument fees.
In March, 5,277 adults and 167 students visited Tiger Cave Temple. Students receive a 50% discount on admission fees.
Kuensel learned guide Bypassing the ticketing process and claiming that their guests will be hiking to the viewpoint and will not be entering the monastery is their main modus operandi.
According to sources, the guide, police and driver then shared the cost of the monument.
In some cases, guides also exchange tickets with other guides for tourists who are unable to reach Tiger Cave Temple.
Normally, upon arrival at Tiger Cave Temple, the police at the gate will check, clock in and enter the visitor’s name into a register.
The Dzongkhag Administration is responsible for managing the entrance fees to the monuments. The Dzongkhag Accountant collects the funds on a daily or weekly basis and reconciles the number of tickets issued with the number of tourists who visited.
The funds were then deposited into Dzongkha’s current account.
Each Tsongkhapa district can use up to 300,000 Ngultrum of funds for development activities at its own discretion, with the approval of the National Monuments Supervision Fund Committee.
Although the government has introduced an online system for ticketing monuments, it is not widely used.
The Bhutan Tourist Guides Association said it was awaiting a police report.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and declined to release information.
According to sources, police are also investigating a similar case of misuse of monument fees in Punakha.
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