The sub-committee under the Public Accounts Committee formed to study and monitor Pokhara International Airport has submitted its report. Sub-committee coordinator Rajendra Lingden handed over the report to committee chairman Rishikesh Pokharel.

Subcommittee coordinator Lingden submitted the report to Public Accounts Committee Chairman Pokharel in a program held on Monday at Parliament House in New Baneshwar. After understanding the report, the chairman of the committee, Pokharel, said that the full report will be discussed in the next meeting of the committee. He also said that the decisions and instructions of the committee meeting will be final.

subcommittee coordinator Lingden pointed out the irregularities and problems in the construction of the regional airport in the report and informed that the report has been prepared with 6 conclusions . In the 38-page long report, the irregularities in the construction of the airport and the problems seen in the regular operation of the airport have been mentioned. In the report, we have basically made 6 conclusions. The overall conclusion will come out after the committee meeting. "We have prepared a 38-page report including the irregularities and problems at the regional international airport," he said.

The conclusion of the sub-committee is that all decision-making officials, employees and officials of the authority involved in the policy, procedure and implementation of the airport from feasibility study to completion of construction should be punished.

The sub-committee recommends that Pradeep Adhikari, Director General of Pokhara Airport (2071 to 74, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority from 2071 to 2078, Civil Aviation Authority to date) and Vinesh Munakarmi, head of Pokhara International Airport Project (2074 to present) should be immediately suspended and the Authority and the Money Laundering Department should be instructed to investigate and take action to the extent permitted by law.

Others who should be recommended for action are National Pride Project Director Chandmala Shrestha, Project Engineer Pravin Neupane, Project Administration Chief Rajendra Prasad Paudel, Authority Director Engineer Baburam Paudel, Authority's former Directors General Sanjeev Gautam, Rajan Pokharel and other incumbent officials involved.

The sub-committee suggests that those involved in corruption and irregularities should be dealt with by the relevant agencies after a comprehensive study of the overall aspect of the airport construction, including from a legal and technical point of view. The sub-committee is of the opinion that the government should take initiatives for commercial operations only by making the airport fully operational.

The sub-committee mentioned in the report that it was found that the soil test of the runway was completed without sufficient time. The sub-committee also stated that the reason and justification for addition of cement and concrete structures including 'Runway', 'Taxi Way Pavement' and 'Arrow Bridge' against the original agreement and design has not been confirmed. It is mentioned in the report that 106 million 48 thousand 394 US dollars were paid for digging soil for the construction of runway, taxiway, apron, dam, drain, but it was found that the work was not done.

It has been found in the study of the subcommittee that 44 lakh 35 thousand 3 hundred 3 US dollars were paid to fill the runway, taxi way, apron, dam, drain, but the work was not done. According to the main contract, 54 lakh 99 thousand 542 US dollars were paid to bring gravel and soil from outside the airport, but the soil was not brought from outside and the documents were not available, according to the sub-committee.

The "additional item" in the main agreement is 152 million 30 thousand US dollars. But in the final bill, the total 'additional' amount is 24 million 36 thousand 960. A total of 222 million 54 thousand 218 dollars has been irregular for soil at the airport," the report states.

It is mentioned in the report that there are irregularities in the stones mixed with gravel and soil when the height of the runway is lowered. According to the report, the authority has paid 742 thousand 659 US dollars from its budget for the installation of HV AC system, contrary to the agreement to be made from the funds of the airport's 'feasibility' project. The authority has also found the 'handover certificate' in the study, even though the entire construction work has not been completed.

Similarly, it is mentioned in the report of the sub-committee that the construction of fuel storage at the cost of 220,000 USD was mentioned within the airport, but that was not done. During all these processes, Director General Pradeep Adhikari was the project leader at the time of decision making and implementation, according to the report. According to the sub-committee, the complaint filed with the authority regarding the increase in the cost of construction of Pokhara airport was taken as a 'notice' to those kept in Tameli on 12 Chait 2070.

The Ministry of Finance gave approval to the Civil Aviation Authority to build Pokhara Airport as an international airport on 11 December 2068. This airport was built on the 'Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC)' model.

China provided concessional loans for the construction of the airport through the Exim Bank and the construction was started on the condition that only Chinese construction companies could compete. A contract agreement worth around 22 billion rupees was signed between the authority and the Chinese company CAMC Engineering for the construction of the airport on 8th June 2071. It is mentioned in the agreement that the interest will be paid within 7 years after the construction is completed and the principal will be paid in 26 installments within 13 years after 7 years.

Under the coordination of Lyngden, a sub-committee was formed in May 2081 to investigate the irregularities of Pokhara Airport. The members of the sub-committee were Janardhan Sharma, Gokulprasad Baskota, Amanlal Modi, Arjunnar Singh KC, Prem Bahadur Ale, Ramakrishna Yadav, Tara Lama, Devprasad Timilsena, Deepak Giri.    In the report of the