Four-decade struggle for Pokhara Int’l Airport finally materialises

Basudev Poudel (Pokhara) / April 14: The four decades long struggle of the Pokhara folks for constructing an international airport finally materialized on Wednesday with the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli laying the foundation stone for the same.

The denizens of this touristic city were very much excited following the signing of a loan agreement with China during Prime Minister Oli’s official visit to there for the construction of the airport. Laying of foundation for the much-anticipated project has made the Pokharelis more enthused.

“Initiation of the process for airport construction here has opened avenues for development of not only Pokhara but of the whole country,” said Ananda Raj Mulmi, the former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and one of the active proponents of the project.

He said the initiation taken by the Pokhara people and the struggle they made for four decades for the construction of the airport has now materialised with the PM laying the foundation stone of the project.

“The Pokhara International Airport is a matter of pride not only for Pokhara but for Province No 4 and also for the entire country. Construction of other infrastructures like road and railway should also be taken along with the construction of the airport,” he added.

Former lawmaker and Nepali Congress leader Shukra Raj Sharma said that laying of the foundation of the international airport in Pokhara after a long wait has made the people here exhilarated as this comes as a big gift following the promulgation of the constitution.

Sharma hopes the construction of the international airport will give a big boost to the tourism industry as thousands of foreign tourists would be coming for a visit to Lumbini, Muktinath, Pashupatinath, Kailashnath and other places via Pokhara.

Punya Prasad Poudel, former president of the District Development Committee (DDC), Kaski, also believes that construction of the international airport would open multiple avenues for development in Pokhara.

Regional president of the Gandaki and Dhawalagiri Regional Committee of the Rastriya Janamorcha, Shankar Prasad Baral says that the international airport would be extremely useful for the development of the entire Western region as well as Pokhara. “Finally, the foundation of the airport has been laid on Wednesday after a long struggle. Now, we all should work together for completing it within the stipulated time,” he reminded.

Executive Officer of the Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City, Jhalakram Adhikari, reiterated that the construction of the international airport will open many new possibilities in Pokhara and surrounding areas.

“Now we have the challenge to construct the infrastructures befitting the international airport,” he said. RSS