KATHMANDU, Aug. 15 -- In what can been seen as a crackdown on errant liaison officers (LOs) attached to mountaineering expeditions, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has announced that it is to disqualify some LOs for life for not fulfilling their assigned responsibilities.

The ministry announced the measure after it emerged that some LOs had filed their reports to the ministry without even reaching base camp. "Some LOs deployed to the expeditions didn't even turn up at base camp. Now, they are disqualified for ever for liaison work," said Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai.

Minister Bhattarai made the announcement after receiving the recommendations prepared by a study team on policy and legal, structural and procedura...