Apropos of the news story “NAC to offer in-flight duty-free service” (THT, December 13, Page 14), it is good that NAC is contemplating to revive duty-free trolleys on board its international flights. I still have a few stuffs including a premium perfume called ‘Poison’ that I bought aboard one of its flights. I remember how NAC cabin crew

sheepishly and awkwardly hawkered duty-free wares on Mumbai flights. Finding no buyers, they later started announcing in vain about the facility rather than wasting their energy pushing trolleys up and down the aisle. Most passengers would ignore the announcements as they furtively craned their neck hankering for the last one for the runway. While trying to revive the shop-in-the-air, NAC should also spare some thoughts about starting flights to destination such as Bardia National Park. It should work with CAAN and its line ministry to identify a landing strip near the park to promote this unique destination.

Airlines buff will not hesitate to salute NAC for playing pioneering role in the past in promoting destinations such as Syangboche, Phaplu, Kyangjin and Meghauly. Swiss captain Emil Wick flew Pilatus Porter to the mountain destinations in the beginning. Without its dedicated service to Meghauly grass strip and later Bharatpur, Chitwan National Park would not have found the world-wide fame it did at a time when road option was limited and not in vogue. Chitwan owes a lot to NAC for its popularity. NAC also experimented with flights to Chitwan from Pokhara which the travel traders could not promote very well. Now, if it wants to lead the pack of two dozen private airliners, it should pioneer direct tourist flights to Bardia and other potential destinations. There is one more thing NAC can do other than reviving the shop; it can start a five-star luxury hotel at its headquarters. Imagine a five-star hotel at a prime historic and shopping landmark as New Road, overlooking a vast open public area.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Justice

Nepal’s election is taking the country to a new path that will ensure political stability. The seven provinces will be named soon.

All contenders of the ongoing polls are both eager and ready to know the results about who will become Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of the seven provinces. But the need of the hour is to improve the condition of human rights. Conflict victims of the Maoist insurgency have still not been provided with justice. There are many such victims whose woes still remain to be addressed but the present government seems to be indifferent towards their plights. For them, the election will be meaningless if the victims of the conflict do not get fair justice. One fact that cannot be denied is that the international community is still pressing the government to impart justice to the conflict victims either by the state or by the then rebel Maoists.

Pratik Shrestha, Buddhanagar