A delegation led by Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, along with several parliament members, met with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at Baluwatar on Sunday to discuss aviation safety.
The delegation included Vice-President of Nepali Congress Jivan Pariyar, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and MPs Udaya Shamsher Rana, Rajendra Bajgai, Ishwori Neupane, Pratima Gautam, Sanjay Gautam, Sarita Prasai, and Rajan KC.
During the meeting, President Deuba emphasized the Nepali Congress’s ongoing concern regarding aviation safety in Nepal. “The Congress has always been attentive to aviation safety issues in Nepal. We discussed several proposals with Prime Minister Oli regarding enhancing the safety measures of Nepal’s aviation services,” said MP Rajendra Bajgai, who was present at the meeting.
The discussion also touched upon the previously submitted bill to the National Assembly proposing the division of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) into two separate bodies. Bajgai explained, “The National Assembly passed the bill and sent it to the House of Representatives, but it did not get presented there and became inactive.”
The bill proposed creating separate regulatory and service provider entities. “This would align with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union (EU),” Bajgai added.
MP Udaya Shamsher Rana noted that the discussion with Prime Minister Oli also covered the frequent aviation accidents in Nepal. “The Prime Minister showed a positive attitude towards implementing the ICAO and EU suggestions to separate CAAN’s roles. He informed us that directives for its implementation have already been issued,” Rana said.
The delegation also highlighted the government’s tendency to form investigation committees after aviation accidents but not take responsibility for implementing their findings. “We drew the government’s attention to this issue as well,” Rana stated.
