Government to Operate Pokhara and Gautam Buddha Airports in Public–Private Partnership

The government has announced that Pokhara International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport will be brought into full operation through a public–private partnership (PPP) model.

Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle made the announcement while presenting the national budget for fiscal year 2083/84 in a joint session of the Federal Parliament on Friday.

He said the government will move ahead with management arrangements in collaboration with the private sector to ensure full-capacity operation of both international airports.

The government has allocated Rs 1.53 billion for the upgrading of Tribhuvan International Airport, according to the budget statement.

In addition, the modality for the construction of the proposed Nijgadh International Airport will be finalized within the next six months.

The budget also includes plans to upgrade several domestic airports. Bharatpur Airport in Chitwan will be expanded to enable night flights, while improvements will be carried out at Surkhet, Talcha (Mugu), and Tulsipur (Dang) airports.

The government has announced large-scale infrastructure development for major historical and religious sites including Tilaurakot, Devdaha, Kapilvastu, and Ramgram.

A total of Rs 8.3 billion has been allocated for the Greater Lumbini Development Program.

Janakpur will be branded as a “wedding destination,” and upgrades will be made to the Ram Janaki Path and Ram Janaki Parikrama Road.

Efforts will also be initiated to list Tilaurakot (Kapilvastu), Janakpur Dham (Dhanusha), and Gokarneshwar (Kathmandu) in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Additionally, a special conservation project will be launched to preserve more than 200-year-old Buddhist monasteries in high Himalayan districts such as Mustang and Manang.

The government will develop a provincial tourism corridor called the “Daphne Route,” connecting Khaptad, Badimalika, Rara, and Swargadwari in western Nepal.

New high-altitude trekking routes will also be developed, and unnamed peaks above 6,000 meters will be officially named and opened for mountaineering.

The government plans to expand the Indigenous Nationalities Museum in Kirtipur and promote traditional skills and crafts of the Dalit community through model homestays in Madhes, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces.

Services related to high-altitude sickness will be introduced, and Ayurveda and yoga will be integrated into health tourism development.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has been allocated a total budget of Rs 10.27 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.