The private sector has time and again demanded that government immediately took initiative to expedite the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport reasoning that the only international airport of the country, the Tribuhvan International Airport, was witnessing voluminous traffic congestion in the recent time and there was no area for its expansion.
The government was further prodded to initiate process also because of the recent setback in the TIA with the crash-landing of Turkish aircraft which incurred huge loss to nation's economy and hassled hundred of thousands passengers from the country and abroad. It was because of this as well, the Council of Ministers on Friday took decision to fix four boundaries of the proposed international airport at Nijgadh of Bara district in the southern plains and announce this as an international airport area.
General Secretary of the Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAN), Sagar Pande, said the recent decision of the government was very positive.
Talking to the National News Agency (RSS) today, he pointed out the need of continuous pressure from the private sector to the government. "Tourism sector saw a huge setback with the recent crash of the Turkish aircraft at TIA. The construction of the international airport at Nijgadh must be accelerated, and in addition to this, an alternative runway must be made at the TIA."
Similarly, senior Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Pashupati Murarka, observes that some reasons behind the delayed construction of the Nijgadh airport are political instability, lack of investment and confusion among the government bodies on which model is to be adopted for the project.
Mr Muraka envisions beyond this, saying that only constructing the international airport at Nijgadh is not enough now. The construction of the Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track should also be carried out side by side. The fast track is the easy medium to link the alternate airport with the capital city.
"We are ready from the private sector to create conducive atmosphere for the government to materialize these mega projects," he added.
He also underlined the need of staunch political will power for development.
The government had assigned the Investment Board to forward activities on the construction of the Nijgadh airport, but lack of coordination between the Board and the concerned Ministry took heavy toll.
Spokesperson at the Board, Ghanshyam Ojha, believed that the government's decision would facilitate the Board to carry out further works. The Board has been facing problems for the investment due to frequent change of ministers and secretary.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has been allocating the budget from its internal resources for the past four years, citing construction of airport at Nijgadh but the budget was frozen.
The CAAN had allocated Rs 37.8 million in the fiscal year 2068/69 BS for the same and Rs 1.3 million in the fiscal year 2069/70 BS for official expense.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had forwarded the model of Public Private Partnership, as the airport was the dire need of the state.
Ministry Spokesperson Sapkota said that it was necessary to follow the suggestions of the extensive feasibility study carried out by the Korean Company, Landmark Worldwide.
The company had submitted the report regarding the project to the government in the July/August of 2068 BS. The airport could have come into operation from the next year if works were carried out as per the report.
Once the airport comes into operation, nearly five million people will get air service through it. The Korean company had conducted the preliminary study and prepared report, which stated that Rs six billion would cost for the construction of the airport in the first phase.
Spokesperson at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohan Krishna Sapkota said that the construction works would be intensified with the latest decision of the government.
Similarly, the government has allocated Rs 500 million for the purpose in the current fiscal year.
The amount was allocated to manage some 400 landless squatters around the airport and to provide the compensation for 84 bigha of lands to be occupied for the airport. RSS
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