The government has formed a committee to study for operating international airports of the country in public private partnership (PPP) model. A cabinet meeting held today approved the proposal on forming a study committee, submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Former Secretary Shankar Prasad Adhikari is the coordinator of the five-member Committee where investment expert Ghanshyam Ojha, Chief of Aviation Division of the Ministry, Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, Joint-Secretary of the Investment Board of Nepal and Deputy-Director of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Dipendra Shrestha, are the member-Secretaries.
The Committee was formed to study the issue of operating Kathmandu-based Tribhuvan International Airport, Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara-based Pokhara International Airport in full capacity and the PPP model. According to the Ministry, a five-member committee has also been formed to manage contract-based employees of Nepal Airlines Corporation. The Committee has been formed under coordination of former Vice-Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri, where management expert Tikaram Rai, Director General of the Tourism Department, representatives of the Finance Ministry and Finance Department of Nepal Airlines Corporation would be the members.
This committee has been given 45 days deadline. With this, the cabinet decided that the Nepali Army should immediately provide land for the expansion of Chitwan-based Bharatpur airport and Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to construct the damaged infrastructures. Similarly, the government took the decision to provide land to Nepali Army at Shaktikhor for horse breeding centre and to bear all possible expenses for the same.
