POKHARA: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari has asserted that the construction of Pokhara Airport would not be halted in any manner.

Speaking at a press conference jointly organised by Press Chautari Nepal and Press Centre Kaski Chapter in Pokhara today, Minister Adhikari clarified that although the experts had furnished many recommendations concerning the construction of the airport, no recommendation suggested halting the construction.

Minister Adhikari shared that a 180-seater aircraft would soon land at the under-construction airport in Pokhara.

He was confident that the airport construction would be completed by 2021 and a budget worth Rs 11 billion had been allocated in the current fiscal year for the same.

Further, the minister added that the government, in its first 100 days, had taken a stride in reconstruction of quake-damaged heritages, along with construction and operation of airports in the country, while the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had also made much progress in air traffic management.

Regarding the progress in air traffic management, Minister Adhikari referred to the operation of the only international airport in the country -- Tribhuvan International Airport -- being made continuous for 21 hours.

Likewise, he said that concerned authority would ensure that high quality aircraft would bring in high-end tourists to Pokhara.

Minister Adhikari further said the government was preparing to launch five-year plan and programmes within this month, adding that preparations were afoot for observing Visit Nepal 2020, aimed at attracting as many as two million tourists in the country.

In this regard, he said, 'Tenders have been called in for reconstruction of the quake-damaged Dharahara while reconstruction of Krishna Mandir in Patan, Lalitpur has been completed.'

Press Chautari Nepal's President Madhav Baral, journalists Ramji Lamsal and Krishna Dawadi, among others drew the attention of the minister towards other contemporary issues.