POKHARA, Aug 22: Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Pradeep Adhikari has accused the parliamentary subcommittee investigating the construction of Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) of producing a baseless report.
Director General Adhikari, speaking at a press conference at PRIA on Tuesday, said the subcommittee formed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament had drafted a report in an arbitrary and exaggerated manner.
The subcommittee, led by Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairperson Rajendra Lingden, claimed corruption of Rs 1.5 billion in the airport’s construction. According to the report, the subcommittee accused that the project cost was inflated from Rs 15 billion to Rs 22 billion, the runway was compromised, soil brought from outside was billed despite using airport soil for reconstruction, the aviation fuel depot inside the airport was not constructed by the authority itself, and excessive cutting of Rithepani hill resulted in corruption. It further recommended that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) investigate and take legal action against those responsible.
Challenging the report as baseless, DG Adhikari dared the government and the investigative subcommittee to prove that he had engaged in a single rupee of corruption at the Pokhara airport. Accusing the report of judicially killing fairness, he questioned, “If the government asks for a work to be done, and it is done accordingly, is that a crime warranting prosecution? What kind of justice is this?”
DG Adhikari rejected each of the subcommittee’s claims of corruption. He said that the increased costs were due to adding infrastructure items, inflation adjustments, and quality enhancements. He noted that the boarding bridge, not included in the original tender, was added; the quality of runway and taxiway paving was improved; and inflation over five years was incorporated, resulting in the total project cost rising to Rs 22 billion.
Maha duo denounces allegations as baseless
He said that, unlike other airports in Nepal where flexible payments were used for concreting, Pokhara airport applied 34-centimeter concrete due to the geographical and water-related conditions. This method ensures the runway does not require maintenance for 50 years. He added that adjustments to account for inflation between 2014 and 2019 also contributed to the increased cost.
DG Adhikari claimed that even Pulchowk Engineering College had certified the airport’s project cost as appropriate according to the Detailed Project Report (DPR). “Who should we trust? The college certified the cost based on infrastructure and quality,” he stated.
He further refuted the subcommittee’s allegations that the runway had sunk or that soil was illegally sold. “The runway has not sunk; in fact, it has been elevated. How can I answer that? Locals would never believe it. Nowhere was soil sold,” he said, asserting that the report was written without proper understanding of the boarding bridge and main road alignment from the airport to the aircraft.
DG Adhikari also denied claims regarding the aviation fuel depot. He stated that constructing the depot is not normally the responsibility of the construction company worldwide; it was assigned to the Nepal Oil Corporation. Calling the subcommittee’s corruption allegations about cutting Rithepani hill absurd, he said, “The government had allocated a budget every year for hill cutting, approved expenditures, and required environmental impact assessments; calling this corruption ridiculous.”
Regarding tax-related claims, he noted that the Office of the Auditor General had classified the discrepancy as a routine adjustment, not corruption. He said that they were following prescribed procedures to regularize the accounts.
DG Adhikari challenged the subcommittee to conduct an investigation with three engineers to verify whether the Rs 22 billion project was completed with proper infrastructure and quality. He expressed frustration that the subcommittee had forcibly claimed corruption without evidence, spreading rumors. “People not involved in corruption are being named and stigmatized; who protects the workers’ security when false claims are made under the banner of a subcommittee?” he asked.
He warned that such actions could deter future development and discourage future generations from pursuing development projects safely.
Similarly, DG Adhikari criticized comparisons suggesting the airport could have been constructed for Rs 6 billion under an EPS model, claiming that even at a lower cost, it would have faced criticism. “We should take pride in Pokhara Airport. It has a grand, well-equipped terminal, a runway that lasts 50 years, and a boarding bridge. This is something to celebrate,” he said.
He clarified that the public did not pay a single rupee of tax for the airport’s construction. “Airports operate on passenger service charges worldwide. This cannot be called taxpayers’ money. Who pays if they haven’t used the service?” he asked.
DG Adhikari assured that the airport loan repayment is not a problem. Two installments have already been paid, and the remaining 13 will be cleared without issue. He added that annual passengers have increased from 400,000 previously to over 1.1 million today, indicating success.
Likewise, DG Adhikari sarcastically remarked on former Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Prem Bahadur Ale, saying that the same people now accusing corruption were the ones who had previously awarded certificates to the Chinese company CAMC for quality work at the airport. He pointed out the irony, noting that decisions made under Ale’s chairmanship had approved the very work now being questioned.
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