Pokhara Regional International Airport always a hot topic in elections

POKHARA, March 4: It has been over three years since Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) came into operation. In terms of domestic flights, the airport is busy. However, regular international flights have still not gained momentum. During the review period, there have been some international flights, but they have not been regular.

Caught in the tangle of geopolitics and corruption, this airport has always become a vote-gaining tool for parties participating in elections. Before PRIA was built, parties asked voters for support claiming they would build the airport. Now that it is operational, they try to attract voters by promising to ensure regular international flights. The issue of irregular international flights is now being used as an election slogan.

Not just Pokhara, but the airport has been portrayed as a strong pillar to transform the whole face of Gandaki Province. But because regular flights have not started, the province’s tourism sector is particularly concerned. Yet, parties have not stopped including the airport in their election agenda. Businessmen say parties include any issue that can attract voters, which is why Pokhara International Airport always pops up during elections.

Currently, the parties contesting the election could have taken steps to make international flights possible even when they were in the previous government, but that enthusiasm was hardly seen, says Som Thapa, former president of Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC). “Even when their party was in government, they did not show much interest in the airport. They fulfilled only formalities. But now, during elections, they have raised the issue again,” Thapa said.

He added that parties probably gave assurances about the airport only because it was a way to address the tourism sector to some extent.

“If they really want to take steps to operate international flights, no party needs to wait for elections. Problems can be solved even without elections,” he said. “After all, it was these parties who ran the previous government. If sufficient effort had been made then, there would be no need to make it an issue now. But still, for political stunts, the airport is always included in slogans.”

Another businessman, Basu Tripathi, who is also a former member of the Tourism Board, said that Pokhara International Airport has never been left out of election slogans. “Before the airport was built, they promised to build it. Now they say they will operate it.”

Tripathi says that blaming geopolitics and passing the buck is wrong.

According to him, including the airport in the manifesto is not necessary. “All parties in Gandaki Province know this. If they were going to actually work on it, they should start the day after winning. But that never happens. Any party could have advanced it but chose not to,” he said. “It is shameful to say even now that the airport cannot operate.”

Candidates from political parties contesting the elections try to attract voters by giving new assurances. Political analysts say such assurances have no real basis. Analyst Surendra Thapa says, “Rather than becoming lawmakers, people who have become contractors have raised development issues. Parties do not need to show such attractive slogans.”

He said that instead of promising policies, candidates should focus on delivering development work. “We are going the wrong way. Instead of promising policies or laws, we give assurances,” he said. “Repeated election slogans keep revolving around the same topic. Only the form has changed, not the issue. This is unnecessary.”