Kathmandu. CIvil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has demanded explanations from former and present senior officials of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) regarding the construction of a five-storey building  while securing  the building permit for a two-storey one.

In 2069 BS, Rasuwa KD JV company had been given permission to construct a building close to the Golden Gate. The company had to make ready the parking lot, children’s park and restaurants and it was given a  construction permit for a two-storey building.in a 52-ropani area. However, it had erected a  five-storey building.

Explanations were sought from former director generals of CAAN Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, Dinesh Shrestha and Rishikesh Sharma for not carrying proper surveillance. Devanand Bhattarai and Rajkumar Chhettri also had to clarify on the topic.

A board meeting of CAAN under the chairmanship of Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai had decided to inquire all concerned present and past heads.

The 56^th report of the Auditor General had noted that the building had not been constructed as per the contract and that there had been misappropriations during the construction process.

Since the Auditor General’s report raised a doubt, the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) also made a study and concluded that there had been financial irregularities and suggested to take actions upon the guilty. News source informs that the present ministerial decision was the outcome of the suggestion of the PAC.

Minister Yogesh Bhattarai informed that the officers had turned a blind eye to the unauthorized process, hence departmental action was recommended. “They were found to approve the whole thing and clear the bills of the improper construction deliberately,” he told. “The director general has been directed to punish the wrong doers.”

Rajan Pokharel, Director General of CAAN informed that clarifications were demanded from former director general, corporate head and  chief of financial administration.