The preliminary findings of two parliamentary committees have revealed financial misconduct in th construction of international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa. These findings, which suggest malicious intent, were reached by separate committees formed by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives to investigate the construction of both airports.

On May 28, the Public Accounts Committee decided to form two teams to conduct an immediate on-site study regarding the delay in operationalizing the Pokhara and Bhairahawa international airports and the various flaws in the construction process. The preliminary report prepared by the committees after their field study concluded that a proper feasibility study was not conducted for the construction of Pokhara International Airport.

The committees also found that Pokhara Airport was upgraded to international status under political pressure and influence, with a lack of transparency during its construction. “There has been an unusual expenditure on physical infrastructure,” said a member of one of the committees, adding, “The Cabinet's decision to grant excessive tax exemptions in collusion with the contractor has resulted in financial loss to the state.”

The committee investigating the errors at Pokhara International Airport was led by Rajendra Lingden, chairperson of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and a Member of Parliament. Other members included Arjun Narsingh KC, Gokul Prasad Baskota, Janardan Sharma, Prem Bahadur Ale, Tara Lama, Tejulal Chaudhary, Deepak Giri, Dev Prasad Timilsina, Ram Krishna Yadav, Rukmani Rana, and Lekhnath Dahal.

Similarly, another committee led by Yogesh Bhattarai, a Member of Parliament from the CPN (UML), was formed to investigate the flaws in the construction of Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa. Other members of this committee included MPs Amaresh Kumar Singh, Manish Jha, Achyut Prasad Mainali, Bikram Pandey, Shyam Kumar Ghimire, Manju Khand, and Saraj Ahmed Farooqi.

This committee also concluded that there were irregularities in the construction of Bhairahawa International Airport. "The financial misconduct seems to have begun with the acquisition of land for Gautam Buddha International Airport," one of the committee members told New Business Age, adding, "Despite the high cost of the land, more was acquired than necessary."

The construction of Pokhara Airport began with the aim of completing it by the fiscal year 2020/21 . However, after failing to meet the deadline, the government extended the project by two years. The construction was funded by a loan of Rs 22 billion from China.

The 60th Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General pointed out that Rs 2.22 billion in customs duties, taxes, and VAT was waived under the heading of materials purchased for the construction of Pokhara Airport. A member of the committee, after conducting an on-site inspection and reviewing documents, revealed that political leadership was involved in the decisions made during the airport’s construction. Some MPs in the committee insist that the report should hold these political leaders accountable. These leaders include current Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Sushil Koirala, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, and Jhalanath Khanal.

Additionally, former ministers, from Post Bahadur Bogati to Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, were also involved in the decision-making process, according to the committee member. "The connection to irregularities involves high-profile individuals. However, there is disagreement within the committee on whether to name them in the report, which is why the report, initially expected to be completed within a month, is still pending," the member explained.

Lekhnath Dahal, a member of the committee investigating the flaws at Gautam Buddha International Airport, stated that the committee had found indications of financial misconduct. "Several prominent individuals are involved, and many others are likely to be implicated," he said in an interview with New Business Age.

Ekram Giri, secretary of the Public Accounts Committee, noted that although the two committees were tasked with conducting immediate field visits and submitting reports on the delay in operationalizing the airports and the flaws in the construction process, they have yet to submit their final reports. "While the preliminary report has been submitted, the final report has not yet been presented," he told New Business Age, adding, "Once the report is submitted, the committee will convene and move forward with the decision-making process."