Khotang, October 2 :

Airline companies operating flights from Kathmandu to the eastern hilly districts have been accused of committing irregularities in ticket sales.

Passengers flying to Khotang, Solukhumbu and Okhaldhunga districts from Kathmandu said

the airlines were not directly issuing tickets to them and selling tickets through brokers. They said they were forced to buy tickets from the brokers in black market.

For Kathmandu-Lamidanda route, the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has fixed a fare of Rs 2,490 and Yeti Airlines Rs 2,540, respectively. However, passengers complained that they had to cough up fare as high as Rs 5,000 in the black market.

“When I asked the NAC staffers for a ticket, they said that there was no ticket for Kathmandu-Lamidanda route. However, I got the ticket after paying Rs 3,500 to a broker,” lamented Rohini Khadka, a local of Dolakha. Another passenger echoed Khadka.

“I did not get the ticket though I was ready to pay Rs 4,000 against the actual cost of Rs 2,490,” said Shankar Sharma of Diktel.

Similarly, Babita Rai, a resident of Gyamire in Khotang, said, “I travelled paying Rs 5,000 for a

NAC ticket that costs just Rs 2,540.”

Rohit Dhakal, a local of Khotang, said that the government did not take any initiative to check the corruption in the state-run airline company. He demanded action against the erring NAC staffers.

“I travelled on the ticket issued in other person’s name by paying Rs 5,000 for Kathmandu-Phaplu route,” said Sanjay Kiranti of Solukhumbu.

Melina Rumdali of Okhaldhunga has similar complain.

Though there is provision of checking the tickets in the airport, she said a person owing another person’s tickets has been allowed to travel due to the nexus between the airline staffers and airport staffers.