KATHMANDU, JAN 01, 2012
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Post Bahadur Bogati on Monday said that development of two mega projects—Second International Airport (SIA) in Nijgadh, Bara and Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track—would be pushed ahead side by side.
Speaking at the 14th anniversary of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) here, Bogati said that his ministry was currently discussing the SIA with the Investment Board (IB).
The SIA project, which has been in cold storage for the past 22 months, has regained government attention. The IB, which is looking after the project, has planned to open global bidding for its construction, said IB sources. There are plans to call bids within the next three to six months.
Similarly, three Indian companies have been shortlisted for the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track project. The three companies are Reliance Infrastructure, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) and Larsen and Turbo (L&T) Infrastructure Development Project.
Meanwhile, Minister Bogati said that the government was doing its best to develop the much-delayed regional international airport in Pokhara. He urged all the stakeholders not to over-politicise the issue. The proposed airport in Pokhara has not moved forward despite the efforts of the government to implement it.
On Feb 9, CAAN invited bids to build the project under the EPC model, but controversy arose after the lowest quote it received was 85 percent higher than the government estimate.
Ranjan Krishna Aryal, joint secretary at the ministry, said that state policy was unclear on development of airports in Nepal. A number of airports have been planned across the country without doing a proper business study. “There is a need for a balanced airport policy to determine where it is needed the most.”
CAAN director general Tri Ratna Manandhar said that the government had planned to construct seven new domestic airports. Among them, the ministry has approved the plan to build an airport at Sukilumba in Ilam, he added.
Similarly, plans to build airports at Gaighat, Udaypur, Shey Phoksundo in Upper Dolpa and Jamdaha in Siraha are at the evaluation phase. Likewise, planning has begun on airport projects in the Makalu Barun Valley and Arghakhanchi.
Manandhar said that the design estimate to upgrade Gautam Buddha Airport to a regional international airport had been finalised, and that a call for bids would be made. The CAAN, which has racked up accumulated losses of Rs 1.15 billion since its establishment, made a net profit of Rs 742 million in the previous fiscal year.
CAAN’s projected net profit in the last fiscal year stands at Rs 1.09 billion and accumulated profit at Rs 683 million. In the first 10 months of 2012, Tribhuvan International Airport handled 3.68 million travellers (2.36 million international and 1.31 million domestic).
Meanwhile, CAAN has honoured Buddha Air among domestic carriers and Qatar Airways among international carriers for their top performance in the Nepali aviation industry.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Post Bahadur Bogati on Monday said that development of two mega projects—Second International Airport (SIA) in Nijgadh, Bara and Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track—would be pushed ahead side by side.
Speaking at the 14th anniversary of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) here, Bogati said that his ministry was currently discussing the SIA with the Investment Board (IB).
The SIA project, which has been in cold storage for the past 22 months, has regained government attention. The IB, which is looking after the project, has planned to open global bidding for its construction, said IB sources. There are plans to call bids within the next three to six months.
Similarly, three Indian companies have been shortlisted for the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track project. The three companies are Reliance Infrastructure, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) and Larsen and Turbo (L&T) Infrastructure Development Project.
Meanwhile, Minister Bogati said that the government was doing its best to develop the much-delayed regional international airport in Pokhara. He urged all the stakeholders not to over-politicise the issue. The proposed airport in Pokhara has not moved forward despite the efforts of the government to implement it.
On Feb 9, CAAN invited bids to build the project under the EPC model, but controversy arose after the lowest quote it received was 85 percent higher than the government estimate.
Ranjan Krishna Aryal, joint secretary at the ministry, said that state policy was unclear on development of airports in Nepal. A number of airports have been planned across the country without doing a proper business study. “There is a need for a balanced airport policy to determine where it is needed the most.”
CAAN director general Tri Ratna Manandhar said that the government had planned to construct seven new domestic airports. Among them, the ministry has approved the plan to build an airport at Sukilumba in Ilam, he added.
Similarly, plans to build airports at Gaighat, Udaypur, Shey Phoksundo in Upper Dolpa and Jamdaha in Siraha are at the evaluation phase. Likewise, planning has begun on airport projects in the Makalu Barun Valley and Arghakhanchi.
Manandhar said that the design estimate to upgrade Gautam Buddha Airport to a regional international airport had been finalised, and that a call for bids would be made. The CAAN, which has racked up accumulated losses of Rs 1.15 billion since its establishment, made a net profit of Rs 742 million in the previous fiscal year.
CAAN’s projected net profit in the last fiscal year stands at Rs 1.09 billion and accumulated profit at Rs 683 million. In the first 10 months of 2012, Tribhuvan International Airport handled 3.68 million travellers (2.36 million international and 1.31 million domestic).
Meanwhile, CAAN has honoured Buddha Air among domestic carriers and Qatar Airways among international carriers for their top performance in the Nepali aviation industry.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
No comments:
Post a Comment