Lumbini industrialists urge PM operation of GBIA

LUMBINI, May 07:Lumbini industrialists have requested that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's impending visit to India begin at Gautam Buddha International Airport.

They raised the issue in a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Prachanda on Friday, demanding that the Gautam Buddha International Airport be fully functioning.

The Siddhartha Industry and Commerce Association delegation gave Prime Minister Prachanda, who was at Lumbini for the two 2567th Buddha Jayanti and Lumbini Divas-2080 original events, with a memorandum for the airport's complete operation.

In the memorandum, it is mentioned in the memorandum that until the flight of the national flag ship, as other domestic and foreign airlines are not attracted, the service should be started from the aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation.

Similarly, the Prime Minister has been asked to initiate regular or chartered flights from Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to Bhairahawa-Delhi, Bhairahawa-Malaysia, and Bhairahawa-Qatar, and since the entrance to Buddha's birthplace Lumbini is here,  all buddhist countries of the world should initiate regular or chartered flights at Gautam Buddha International Airport.

Likewise, at least 25% of foreign flights departing from Tribhuvan foreign Airport in Kathmandu must be rerouted to Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa. 

In the memorandum, since more than 60 billion rupees have been invested in hotels and tourism business from the tourism potential of Lumbini region, it is demanded that the investment made in the tourism sector is unsafe because the international flights are not regular.

Thakur Kumar Shrestha, Chairman of Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rupandehi, stated that a memorandum has been presented asking ongoing flights from Gautam Buddha International Airport, which serves as the region's economic backbone. Following the submission of the memorandum, he stated that Prime Minister Prachanda was totally satisfied with the airport's operation and that he would immediately provide instructions to departmental minister Sudan Kirati.

On that occasion, Prime Minister Prachanda stated that he was positive toward the Association's demands and that after returning from his visit to India for the airport's operation, he would proceed with discussions with private sector businessmen and concerned bodies, according to Govinda Gyawali, vice president of the Siddhartha Industry and Commerce Association.