KATHMANDU, April 28: The parliamentary sub-committee, under the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has recommended the immediate recovery of Rs 2.22 billion from the construction of Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA).
The parliamentary sub-committee formed to investigate irregularities in the construction of PRIA has submitted its report to the committee.
On Monday, the sub-committee, led by Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden, handed over the report to the PAC Chairman Rishikesh Pokharel.
Lending slows as banks focus on recovery of loans at fiscal yea...
During the investigation, the sub-committee concluded that irregularities exceeding Rs 10 billion had occurred. The report highlights that corruption took place at various stages, from the tender process to the completion of the construction.
During the study, it was found that Rs 2.22 billion should be immediately recovered from the construction side of PRIA. In the study report submitted to Pokharel, sub-committee coordinator Lingden recommended the immediate recovery of Rs 2.22 billion.
The PAC formed a sub-committee on June 28 last year to study the PRIA and prepare a report. On the same day, the committee also formed a sub-committee to study the Gautam Buddha International Airport.
The report states, “Contrary to the provisions of the main agreement, with the intention of financial irregularities through tax exemptions, a new Implementation Agreement was made, and repeatedly the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), and the Ministry of Finance have committed financial irregularities amounting to Rs 2.22 billion based on the master list.
Meanwhile, Gokul Baskota, a member of the sub-committee and a lawmaker from the CPN-UML, has called for action against those responsible for operating the airport before its full construction was completed. Expressing a dissenting opinion in the report, he stated that several construction works remained unfinished, and technical testing was still pending. He argued that the decision to operate the airport under such conditions was also an irregularity.
Baskota said, “Some construction works remain unfinished, and technical testing has not been fully completed. Therefore, the question of why, how, and on what basis the airport was inaugurated and handed over needs to be clarified. I believe that necessary legal action should be recommended in this regard.”
