KATHMANDU: The parliamentary subcommittee formed to investigate alleged corruption during the construction of the Pokhara Regional International Airport submitted its report on Monday, but internal differences among members have surfaced.
The subcommittee, led by Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair and Member of Parliament Rajendra Lingden, presented its 38-page report at a press conference held at Shankar Hall in the Parliament Building.
The subcommittee, formed under the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives nearly a year ago, based its findings on on-site inspections, document studies, and stakeholder discussions.
Coordinator Lingden stated that the report reached six key conclusions regarding irregularities and complaints surrounding the airport’s construction.
Public Accounts Committee Chairman Hrishikesh Pokharel, speaking at the event, said that two separate subcommittees had been formed to probe potential corruption at Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports.
While the Pokhara Airport study led by Lingden has been completed, the report concerning Bhairahawa Airport, overseen by CPN-UML MP Yogesh Bhattarai, is still pending.
Pokharel added that the submitted report will now be discussed in the full Public Accounts Committee, and a final conclusion will be drawn after considering the committee members’ feedback.
The subcommittee under Lingden’s coordination included MPs from various parties, including Janardan Sharma (CPN-Maoist Centre), Aman Lal Modi (CPN-Maoist Centre), Arjun Narsingh KC (Nepali Congress), Prem Ale (Unified Socialist Party), Ram Krishna Yadav, Tara Lama Tamang, Dev Prasad Timilsina, Deepak Giri, and Rukmani Rana. CPN-UML MP Gokul Baskota was also a member.
However, Baskota publicly dissented from the submitted report, criticizing it as “incomplete.” Speaking after the press conference, Baskota said he had not attended all the meetings of the subcommittee and questioned the accuracy of the conclusions.
“The report is incomplete. I did not participate in all the meetings, and there was confusion regarding one meeting. It is said that the report was not signed, and corrections were not sought — how can it be considered accurate?” Baskota said.
He stressed that the findings should not be treated as the final verdict and called for the main committee to conduct further in-depth investigations to uncover the truth behind the irregularities at Pokhara Airport.
“This report is not the final conclusion. There are unresolved issues at Pokhara Airport, and further study by the main committee is necessary,” he added.
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