Cabinet meeting venue changed to Kala patthar

KATHMANDU, Dec 1: The government has made a last minute decision to change the venue for holding the cabinet meeting at Kala Patthar instead of the originally planned Gorakshep on Friday. The decision came after the private and Nepal Army pilots suggested the change of venue Tuesday.



As per the new plan, the ministers will be flown to Syangboche, there will be a brief stop at Lobuche and then the chopper will land at Kala Patthar, which is a plateau of dry lake situated only 200-300 meters away from Gorakshep. [break]



"We will land at Kala Patthar with maximum six passengers at a time," Col Pramod Lama told Republica after the change of the plan. Lama, who will be flying MI-17 Friday, said that since the meeting in Gorakshep is not feasible due to rising dust wind, Kala Patthar was suggested.



Kala Patthar is at an altitude of 18,192 ft, while Gorakshep is situated at 17,200 ft.



The venue was also changed keeping in view the visibility factor. The pilots have claimed that the entire mountain range will be visible from Kala Patthar. "As it is a plateau, we will be able to see the mountains very clearly from Kala Pattar," Captain Alexander Chirva of Shree Air told Republica, adding, "We cannot actually see the mountains from the base camp due to heavy cloud."



Nepal Television and the BBC will broadcast the cabinet meeting live.

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