Like every industry has its pros and cons. The tourism industry has not been able keep itself away from the negative aspect of sex industry highlighting its scope and role. In same view these days, Pokhara City is grasping the trend of dance restaurant in its hub areas. Though the different dance restaurants are materializing its identity in the name of entertainment and tourism but a relative lack of supervision and monitoring by the concern authority have resulted in its growth.Bharat Paudel, police officer at the Community Police Service (CPS) Baidham said, "Many of dance restaurants are running freely in the name of tourism and entertainment but in reality, we cannot even see a tourist or traveler in such places. Although, we have already alerted them and have regulated them under a code of conduct but still at times, we have been getting complains and have acted against them. Looking at the problem, we have already formed a monitoring mechanism District Coordination Committee (DCC), which has been actively observing such acts. Just few days back, we visited some of the dance restaurants around the city area, where many people were found in an uneasy situation. We are further planning to work with the DCC to develop an effective rules and regulation to limit the dance restaurants to the code of conduct and strongly adopt it in their operation."
At times, the police and other related organization have raided them but despite the lack proper mechanism of management and monitoring, the dance restaurants are creating a menace for the society and people living within the abode.
Ganesh Bhatterai, a restaurant entrepreneur and past president of Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC) said, "The concept of easy sex is very common these days in urban cities. Mainly due to a decade long conflict, many people have displaced from their villages to cities. The lack of employment impedes them to take sex business as their profession.”
"It is not that I am against the dance restaurants or opposing against it but the dance restaurants should follow relative rules and regulation. As in democracy, people should have their rights to choose their way of living and earning their profession but it should not be against the law and go off the limit," added he.
To solve the problem he suggested, "The Government and INGO’s working in the field should primarily focus on providing empowerment training to the people taking sex as their prime profession and should develop programs where women of such field could survive and sustain."
Goma Dhakal, president of District Coordinating Committee woes, "The increasing dance restaurants in Pokhara are creating a negative impact in the society. We have initiated a campaign to fight against such menace. Today dance restaurants are adapting as a prostitution center so to control them and to limit them,we have come up with a concerted efforts of a code of conduct. If the dance restaurants do not follow the code of conduct then we would further initiate strict laws against them. "
However, the CSC, CPS and other related organization have created limitation and restriction in the name of code of conduct. Still the activities performed by dance restaurants are increasing in number creating a menace in the society. Perhaps, a need of a stronger monitoring mechanism is the time demand of the problem, voice all the sectors.
By Shreedeep Rayamajhi
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