KATHMANDU: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the House of Representatives has decided to forward a letter to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) requesting an investigation and action regarding corruption in the construction of Pokhara International Airport.
In a meeting held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, the committee accepted the report submitted by a subcommittee and decided to ask the CIAA to investigate the issues of corruption raised in the report and take necessary action, according to committee chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel.
The subcommittee’s report highlights irregularities and corruption from the very beginning of the contract process for the airport’s construction. It further points out significant financial and technical irregularities during the implementation phase.
Pokharel stated that the report would be sent to the CIAA to initiate immediate study, investigation, and legal proceedings on the matters outlined.
During the meeting, CPN-UML lawmaker Yogesh Bhattarai expressed disagreement with the subcommittee’s report. He acknowledged that since allegations of corruption have been made, the CIAA should indeed investigate the construction of the Pokhara airport.
Bhattarai, who was the Minister for Tourism at the time of the construction, said he is ready to give a statement to the CIAA if an investigation involves him.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC said the report was unbiased and should be implemented accordingly.
The meeting also witnessed disagreements among lawmakers over the contents of the subcommittee’s report. Subcommittee coordinator Rajendra Lingden clarified that the report was prepared without any bias and that all procedures were properly followed.
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