Adhikari shared this while speaking at the end of the meeting of the Development Committee today. The meeting was focused on expediting the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport and the Kathmandu-Tarai fast track projects, the problems encountered in these projects and related issues.
He said these two national priority projects could not be taken ahead without addressing the problems faced in their construction, pointing out that there was the need of positive discussions regarding expediting the development construction works.
The need to expedite the two projects has arisen in the light of the recent drubbing the national image suffered following the recent closure of the only international airport in the country – the Tribhuvan International Airport – for four days after a Turkish Air plane crash landed and veered off the runway blocking a part of the runway.
There is a general understanding that the country would not have to face this fiasco had there been an alternative international airport and the committee held discussions around this topic.
The government has earmarked Rs 500 million in the current fiscal year's budget for the construction of the airport at Nijgadh in Bara district. However, the construction of the airport has not taken off due to various hurdles including land acquisition and compensation for the acquired land.
The fast track project has met a similar fate. A study carried out by the Asian Development Bank had estimated the cost of the project to be Rs 100 billion but that has been scaled up to be Rs 130 billion due to various reasons.
Speaking in the meeting today, former Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Sher Bahadur Deuba suggested effective monitoring of the construction works and government oversight for expediting the works. They also warned against politicizing the projects.
Similarly, Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said the government would undertake the two projects only if the private sector gives up their construction. He also said that the government could invest Rs 300 billion for the projects.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management Bimalendra Nidhi said the fast track project would be moved ahead on the BOOT model.
Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Suresh Man Shrestha said the actual works on the Nijgadh Airport project began in 2064 BS although talks on constructing the airport had been around for the last 18 years.
Minister for Forest Mahesh Acharya committed the government support for pursuing the airport construction project, a national priority project, as there was no any problem related to the forest in this project.
Minister of State for Land Reform and Management Dal Bahadur Rana said his ministry was ready to sort out any problems related to land survey and determining the plot allocation required for the airport and urged the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport Management to come up with a report immediately.
Also expressing their views on this in the meeting were the former secretary Rameshwar Khanal, development expert Prof Surya Acharya, expert Birendra Bahadur Deuja and UCPN (Maoist) leader Giriraj Mani Pokharel. RSS
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