Kathmandu, Dec 4: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Director General Pradip Adhikari. While CIAA filed the case against him over his alleged involvement in the construction of the Nalinchok helipad in Bhaktapur, his participation in the irregularities regarding the construction of Pokhara international airport will also be investigated.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has named him and six others as defendants, accusing them of embezzling about Rs 135.7 million during the Nalinchok project.
A key basis for the case is a report prepared by a committee Adhikari himself formed in 2080. The report had advised against building the helipad at Nalinchok, saying the site was not suitable and carried multiple risks. The same concerns now serve as evidence in the corruption case.
Adhikari, who heads the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, created the committee to study whether the Nalinchok site could handle helicopter operations after a plan emerged to relocate helicopters from Tribhuvan International Airport due to new hangar and apron construction. CAAN had planned to use around 33 ropani of its own land in Suryabinayak 10 for the new helipad.
The study committee, led by the director of the airport operations department, found several problems. The site could accommodate only 17 helicopters and lacked essential operating infrastructure. There were no facilities for crew or passenger security, no check-in counters, no screening equipment, and no terminal space. The fencing was weak, allowing people to easily enter the area, posing safety risks.
The report also flagged likely disruption to 300 to 400 nearby households. It noted that the narrow access road could not support cargo and larger vehicles. The absence of communication facilities needed to coordinate with Kathmandu Tower, a lack of fuel storage space, and no system to gather weather data were listed as additional obstacles.
High-voltage transmission lines near the site created further flight safety issues. The report concluded that helicopter operations from Nalinchok would be difficult without major infrastructure upgrades and advised CAAN to reconsider the plan.
These findings, produced by Adhikari’s own committee, now form the backbone of the corruption case filed against him and his team.
Irregularities in Pokhrara Airport
The Public Accounts Committee had already directed an inquiry into the airport last year. The subcommittee led by Rajendra Lingden flagged that the project, initially planned at around 14 billion rupees, reached more than 22 billion rupees. The report questioned Adhikari’s role and listed several officials for investigation. These include former and current CAAN officials and engineers tied to the national pride project.
The subcommittee found that the contract, signed under the EPC model, still allowed cost escalation. It said the deal favored the Chinese contractor, CAMC, by increasing the bill of quantities despite the quoted price being more than double CAAN’s estimate. Later, an additional 70 million dollars was added through negotiations, which the Public Procurement Act does not allow. There were also tax exemptions that violated contract terms.
The report noted unclear use of 80 million dollars that was supposed to support the Upper Trishuli hydropower project. It also stated that CAMC and CAAN inserted additional items worth more than 15 million dollars without specifying their total cost, which the committee said was irregular under the EPC model.
Operational issues add to the concern. The airport has not managed to start regular international flights, the business plan is missing, the runway length remains limited, and questions about construction quality keep surfacing. The committee pointed out that cutting and lowering Chinedanda was done without proper study of possible social, economic or environmental impacts. CAAN spent more than 320 million rupees on this work even though it should have been handled by the contractor within the original agreement.
The report also raised concerns about the use of mixed gravel and soil on the runway, the lack of adequate safety measures after hill cutting, and the effect on payload capacity for aircraft like the Airbus 320. It concluded that several decisions created financial burden for the state while giving benefits to the contractor.
The subcommittee has recommended a full investigation into everyone involved in policy decisions, procurement, engineering and execution from the start of the feasibility study through completion.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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