May 31: The International Relations Committee of the Parliament has directed the government to expedite the construction of Nijgadh International Airport by getting rid of the legal hurdles. A meeting of the committee held at Singha Durbar on Monday issued such directive even if it requires changing the law. The committee remarked that the decision to stop the construction of Nijgadh International Airport, which was initiated after a long study and huge investment, is not appropriate from any point of view.

The directive of the committee mentions, “It has been decided to direct the Government of Nepal to take necessary legal, administrative and practical action to expedite the construction of the airport, which is essential for the national interest, security and economic development.”

Chairperson of the committee Pabitra Niraula Kharel informed that the decision has been taken to immediately move ahead with the construction of the airport which is a project of national pride to strengthen the economy in line with the national interest of Nepal.

The Supreme Court last Thursday ordered to discontinue the construction of Nijgadh International Airport, which put the construction of airport in a state of uncertainty. Meanwhile, the government's annual policies and programmes and the budget announcement states that the construction process of the airport will continue to move forward. The budget states that the development of the project will move forth through the Investment Board by determining the investment structure. Meanwhile, members of the committee demanded the government to immediately move ahead with the construction of the airport. They emphasized that the project, which cost a lot of money from the state treasury and is linked to the future of the country, should be moved forward even if it means changing the law.

Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal expressed that the construction process of Nijgadh Airport, which was considered appropriate in all respects after a long study and research, should not be obstructed. Indicating that the issue of forest has been unnecessarily raised to fulfill the personal interests of some groups, he said that there will be no deforestation during the construction of the airport.

At the meeting, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale said that he was embarrassed by the Supreme Court's order. Stating that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal already spent Rs 3 billion on the airport and more than 8,050 hectares of land has been already acquired in the name of the airport, he emphasized that there is no alternative other than moving the project forward. He said that the Supreme Court's order disappointed the stakeholders as the preparation of master plan of the airport and the environmental impact assessment as well was already done.

Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Maheshwar Neupane, said that there is no alternative other than to move ahead with the construction process as the airport, which has been under discussion for almost 28 years, is suitable in all respects.

Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Pradip Adhikari said that if the construction process of the airport is halted, there will be loss to the overall economy of the country in the long run. He said that the Tribhuvan International Airport with a capacity to handle 9.2 million people annually will not be able to accommodate the annual increase of 10 percent of air passengers. The number of air passengers visiting Nepal has been increasing by one million every year. He stated that it is necessary to build the Nijgadh International Airport at any cost.