KATHMANDU, May 15: The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers ranked the Ministry of Tourism among the top two performers in a recent report. However, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA)-which secured the highest score in the performance evaluation conducted last Poush (mid-December/mid-January)—faces widespread disorder. Outgoing Secretary Binod Singh, just before his retirement, amended the regulations to push a technical position into the administrative category.
The MoCTCA has turned into a breeding ground for arbitrary rule-making. Staff members claim that Minister Badri Prasad Pandey has failed to study subject matters thoroughly and deliver speeches without taking action, which has plunged the ministry into disarray. "Neither the minister nor senior officials show any concern for the tasks that need attention," said one staff member. Minister Pandey has remained silent on several key issues related to the MoCTCA, including the Pathibhara cable car controversy.
"The minister, despite holding a politically responsible position, does little more than rush files to the cabinet," said the staff member.
Meanwhile, the MoCTCA's administrative staff prioritize advancing their interests. As a recent example, the MoCTCA submitted the Air Service Management Regulation 2082 BS. Aviation professionals warned that this regulation could push Nepal's civil aviation sector onto not only the European Union's blacklist but also the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s safety watch list.
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Aviation experts warn that the regulation the ministry's Civil Aviation Division drafted—after scoring only around 25 to 30 out of 100 in the ICAO audit and damaging Nepal's Effective Implementation (EI) rating— could further weaken the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal's (CAAN) standing and make it nearly impossible for Nepal to exit the EU blacklist.
ICAO and the European Union have repeatedly criticized Nepal for maintaining dual regulatory control between the ministry and CAAN. Under the 2015 Civil Aviation Act, the ministry issues licenses, collects fees, and exercises authority over renewals.
Meanwhile, CAAN evaluates those licenses separately before granting aircraft operation approvals. Employees in the ministry's Civil Aviation Division insist on keeping this parallel licensing system to monopolize the authorization process and leave room for manipulation.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has already prosecuted and convicted a section officer from the same division for corruption related to this licensing process. Joint Secretary Mukesh Dangol currently heads the Administration Division. Before Dangol took charge, the ministry had already transformed the existing procedures into formal regulations.
At that time, Joint Secretary Indu Ghimire, who oversaw the Tourism Division, also handled aviation matters. According to ministry sources, Ghimire, who comes from an administrative background and lacks in-depth experience in civil aviation, collaborated with Undersecretary Tanuja Pokharel, an aviation technical expert, who actively led the effort to convert the procedures into formal regulations.
Before Joint Secretary Dangol assumed office, the ministry pushed the regulation through by securing approval from then-Secretary Binod Singh, who was nearing retirement, and passing it through the minister. "They had already approved the regulation before I arrived; I am currently here on deputation," Dangol said.
The bill registered to split the Civil Aviation Authority includes a controversial provision that lets not only senior officials from the authority but also joint secretaries from the ministry become the director general—a change experts view with suspicion.
The regulation passed by the ministry states in Article 27 that the ministry can now prepare annual programs to monitor and inspect licensed aviation organizations and issue necessary directives. This directly violates the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 1996 (2053 BS), which established and governs the Authority's operation.
Meanwhile, the division, which has four officer-level staff, has assumed equal authority to the Civil Aviation Authority. Only the Authority should regulate, operate, and inspect all air services. The minister himself approved documents that enable such manipulation and abuse of state power. Minister Pandey neither knows about this nor seems willing to be informed.
Since Secretary Binod Prakash Singh retired mandatorily on May 7 due to reaching the retirement age of 58, the MoCTCA has been without a secretary. Even before his retirement, the ministry caused disorder by amending the regulations.
