Kathmandu. Pokhara: Massive irregularities and corruption have been found in the construction of Pokhara International Airport.
A sub-committee formed by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has found irregularities and corruption at the beginning of the contract process of the airport during on-site study and monitoring. In its report submitted to the accounts committee today, the sub-committee has stated that there were irregularities in trade from economic and technical point of view during the construction.
Similarly, a three-member taskforce has been formed with the intention of legalising corruption against the Public Procurement Act and prevailing norms and has taken a policy decision to increase the cost points. According to the report, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Finance have repeatedly committed financial irregularities of Rs 2.22 billion on the basis of master list by entering into a new implementation agreement with the intention of financial irregularities by giving tax exemption against the provisions of the original agreement. According to the report, the Ministry of Finance did not respond to the committee’s communication in this regard.
Similarly, the contractor will be responsible for bringing the airport into full operation by constructing all facilities and infrastructure. According to this, the contractor company had to cut the chhinedanda. However, contrary to the agreement, the NEA has directly committed irregularities and corruption by paying Rs 320.2 million to a separate contractor.
The committee concluded that many of the works to be done in the main agreement were paid from the nea’s budget.
The report has suggested directing the Commission for Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the Department of Money Laundering Investigation to investigate and take action against all the contractors, employees and former and current officials of The Civil Aviation of Nepal.
