Kathmandu: Activists from various walks of life staged demonstrations in Pokhara on Sunday demanding that there should be a fair probe on alleged corruption in the construction of Pokhara International Airport. They also demanded that the Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Pradeep Adhikari, who they accuse of being complicit in corruption, should be removed from office.
The protest was led by the National Unity Campaign (NYC), an organization of Nepali Hindu activists who advocate that Nepal should be a Hindu federal republic.
According to NYC, demonstrators displayed placards that read: ‘Bring Pokhara International Airport in full operation,’ ‘probe corruption in construction of the airport,’ ‘remove the corrupt DG of CAAN’ and ‘write a diplomatic note to the Chinese ambassador,’ among others.
They also demanded that the government of Nepal should ask the party that provided the loan for the construction of the airport to turn the loan into a grant.
Pokhara International Airport was inaugurated with pomp and show on January 1, 2023. However, few international flights have been operated from that airport ever since. There have been only seven international flights since then, reports say.
Once seen as Nepal’s dream project and a great beacon of hope to ensure the thriving economy of Pokhara, Nepal’s most visited and most admired tourist city, PIA has become a subject of debate after reports exposed corruption in the construction of the airport apparently involving Nepali as well as Chinese actors. The airport was built on a soft loan provided by the China Exim Bank. The loan amount totals around Rs25.88 billion. Nepal has already requested China to convert the loan into a grant.
As the Pokhara International Airport is yet to become fully operational, concerns are being raised in Nepal that the airport built with huge loans might become a white elephant. The New York Times has published reports exposing the corruption in Pokhara International Airport.
Comment