Madhav accuses Deuba of commission-driven Dadeldhura Airport proposal

Kathmandu, January 9 — The Chairman of the CPN (Unified Socialist) party and former Prime Minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal, has accused former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba of attempting to build an airport in Dadeldhura, a proposal he claimed was driven by commissions.

Speaking at the International Relations and Tourism Committee meeting at Singha Durbar on Thursday, Nepal criticized Deuba's decision to build an airport in Dadeldhura despite knowing that the Bhairahawa and Pokhara international airports were not functioning efficiently.

He suggested that building an airport in Dadeldhura, when nearby airports in Baitadi and Doti were also underutilized, was an effort to pocket commissions.

Nepal also argued that there was no need for an airport in Udaypur or Dadeldhura and stated that the only purpose of such projects was for political gain, allowing leaders to boast about bringing development to their regions. He emphasized that when airports fail to function as expected, the decision-makers responsible should take accountability.

He further criticized the government's focus on building large structures, pointing to the heavy losses of Nepal Airlines, while the government was investing in unnecessary projects like large buildings, which raised questions about the priorities.

Nepal questioned the rationale behind spending billions on buildings when essential services like the airline were facing losses. He remarked that this reflected the habitual approach of the government, as evidenced by similar large-scale constructions like ministerial quarters and prime minister's quarters.