MoU signed to development and expand Surkhet Airport

 Hemant KC     ।    October 2, 2020 

Karnali, A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between Karnali State and federal government to develop, expand and upgrade airport in Surkhet, the capital of Karnali State.

Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning of Karnali Ghanashyam Upadhyay and Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Director General Rajan Pokharel signed the MoU for the same here today. Chief Minister of Karnali State Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, Karnali State’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Prakash Jwala were present on the occasion.

The federal and state government will jointly bear the cost for the upgradation of the airport. The MoU states that acquisition of land to construction of terminal building, runway expansion and other development works for the airport would be undertaken in cooperation among the Karnali State and the federal government. The airport in Surkhet will have a runway stretching 1,500 metres.

The Karnali State has already allocated a total of Rs 500 million in the current fiscal year for the construction of the airport which is expected to ensure easy air connectivity to 10 districts within the Karnali State.