Locals rally for international airport

RUPNARAYAN DHAKAL

POKHARA: Pokhara International Regional Airport (PIRA) Concern Committee today took out a mass rally and organised civil assembly as authorities failed to pay any attention for the construction of the proposed international airport in the Lake City.

The committee organised the programme demanding that the government should immediately get in the way of the protest launched by the employees of the Civil Aviation Authority. It warned that they would shift their agitation to Kathmandu if the demands are not addressed.

Participants in the agitation rally reached Mustang Chowk of Pokhara shouting slogans demanding airport construction immediately. They shouted, “Be careful those who are against the construction, live long unification of western residents.”

The agitators had closed the industries, educational institutions today and participated in different agitation programmes in their cultural dresses. Markets were shut down.

The concern committee president Krishna Mohan Shrestha demanded that the construction should start by any means.

Pokharelis said that since the government had taken 3,106 Ropani land from them way back in 1994 thinking that the government would build the regional airport in Pokhara.

They blamed the government that no any tender was selected by the government though the Chinese Axiom Bank provided the loan at minimum rate.

The Chinese Axiom Bank gave enough time to the Nepal government to complete the process by August 20. But a letter has been sent to the Chinese embassy to extend the deadline for the same process.

The Concern committee made agitation programme public saying that they will shut down the airport by August 23 if the government is not positive to the demands made by them. They also warned that they will shut down the airport from August 31 for indefinite period.

Different organisations have proposed for the tender to construct the airport. The Chinese government showed interest to construct the airport. The concern committee announced that more agitation programme will follow to mount press on the government.

According to concern committee president they will blow horns by gathering the taxies for five minutes on Monday at the airport surroundings, the FM radio station will not air the programme for five minutes and they will encircle the Singha Durbar on Tuesday.