Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Govt to Invest Rs 89million to Repair 10 Airports

The government is investing Rs 89 million this fiscal year to reconstruct 10 airports across the country, which were destroyed during the decade-long armed insurgency.

Repair works have already been started in airports in Bajura, Bajhang, Jufal of Dolpa, Lamidanda, Bhojpur, Phaplu of Solukhumbu, and Chaurjahari and Salle in Rukum district.

"Private companies selected through bidding process are carrying out the repair works," Narayan Giri, an engineer at Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), told myrepublica.com. "All reconstruction works will be completed within this fiscal year."

The government is also planning to reconstruct airports in Sanfebagar and Jumla soon.

"We will soon issue a public notice inviting interested parties to participate in the bidding process to repair the airports,” Giri said, adding, “We will then select qualified bidders to carry out the repair works.”

Around 13 airports -- mostly located in the country´s rural parts which are not accessible by roads -- were destroyed during the Maoist insurgency. In most of the airports, terminal buildings and other physical structures like residential buildings were destroyed by bombings. Property worth Rs 180 million were destroyed in different parts of the country during the decade-long armed conflict, according to government estimates.

According to CAAN, repair works are almost complete in Bajura airport. CAAN invested around Rs 10 million for the reconstruction works there.

The airport in Darchula -- which was also destroyed during the insurgency -- however, may not receive the government´s aid for repair works, as airline companies have failed to cater to this market segment for years due to very low passenger traffic. The airport in Tikapur -- which also became victim of the armed insurgency -- may also meet the fate of the Darchula airport, as the airport is being handled by Tikapur Development Committee and not by CAAN.

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