Kathmandu, May 21

After intensive effort, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) – the sole international airport of the country – has started operating for 21 hours per day from today.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari announced the extended operation hours of TIA from today amid a function held in the Capital.

Earlier, the airport operated for 18 hours a day (from 6:00 am to midnight). Now, with the extension in workings hours, TIA will operate between 6:00 am to 3:00 am the next day.

“Extending TIA’s working hours intends to manage the air traffic situation, especially problems related to traffic congestion. The government plans to operate TIA round-the-clock in the long run,” said Adhikari.

Citing that air traffic congestion has been a major drawback of Nepal’s only international airport, Adhikari urged the TIA management to shift flights to the extended hours. Moreover, Adhikari also warned TIA management not to issue new flight permits to airlines during the peak hours.

“It is an injustice to international flights if they have to stay on hold for hours due to congestion created by few domestic airlines and helicopters,” added Adhikari.

Similarly, Adhikari also warned TIA officials who are not supporting TIA management and the decision of the government to operate the airport for extended hours.

Also, Krishna Prasad Devkota, secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, urged TIA officials who are against the recent decision of the government to quit their jobs. “As government employees, we don’t have the right to act against the government’s decisions. The government will happily accept resignations of officials who oppose its decisions,” he added.

Devkota also said that the government will frequently cross-check the services offered at TIA and take strict action in case lapses are witnessed, irrespective of any portfolio.

Meanwhile, Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager of TIA, and Sanjeev Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), expressed their commitments to standardise TIA and manage air traffic congestion properly.

Kathmandu, May 21

Country’s private sector has praised the policies and programmes of the government unveiled by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari in the Parliament today as ‘it has addressed and incorporated the key suggestions of Nepali business communities and prioritised groundwork for economic growth’.

“This is probably the first time that the government’s policies and programmes was non-populist, set tangible targets and spoke on key issues to reform country’s economy and development. But most importantly, it accommodated the concerns of the business communities,” commented Hari Bhakta Sharma, president of Confederation of Nepalese Industries.

The policies and programmes are business-friendly as it has adopted the policy to reverse the import-based economy and boost domestic productions, according to Sharma.

The business committee is also optimistic as the policies and programmes have vowed to ensure the rule of law by adopting zero tolerance policy against corruption, boost job creation, double per capita income of citizens over five years, make necessary reforms in business-related policies and has regarded private sector as a driver of the country’s economy.

Kathmandu, May 21 

The government has formally named an under construction double-lane highway ‘Madan Bhandari Highway’ through the policies and programmes of the government announced today.

The name of the highway, which was informally called ‘Chure Highway’ earlier, was announced by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari while she presented the government’s ‘Policies and Programmes’ at the Parliament today. The Cabinet had decided to name the highway after the late communist leader on Sunday.

Being developed as an alternative to the country’s East-West (Mahendra) Highway, construction of the 1,200-kilometre-long Madan Bhandari Highway, which will extend from Shantinagar of Jhapa in the east to Rupal of Dadeldhura in the west, is already under way. The government has set a target to complete the project within the next 10 years.

According to Rajendra Raj Sharma, spokesperson for Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), the highway had been split into 11 sections. The first section includes Shantinagar of Jhapa to Dharan; the second section comprises Dharan-Chatara-Gaighat-Sindhuli to Hetauda; while the third section includes Hetauda to Gaindakot. MoPIT is planning to merge the Hetauda-Gaindakot section of Madan Bhandari Highway with East-West Highway, Sharma informed.

Similarly, Gaindakot to Ridi form the fourth section, Ridi to Simaltari of Gulmi is in the fifth section, Simaltari to Pyuthan make up the sixth section, Pyuthan to Dang has been categorised as the seventh section, eighth section include Ghorahi to Surkhet, Surkhet to BP Nagar of Doti had been divided as the ninth section, 10th section include BP Nagar to Buder of Doti and the last section comprise Buder to Rupal of Dadeldhura district.

Sharma had earlier informed that the contract to construct the 315-kilometre-long section of the highway from Dharan to Hetauda had already been awarded and construction works are ongoing.