Kathmandu, Mar. 29

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bist Magar on Thursday affirmed that the government is preparing for buying five Twin Otters, three M16 aircraft and two narrow-body planes.

"The process of purchasing eight aircrafts from China has already moved ahead. The two narrow-body aircrafts will be purchased for operating regional flights. This will prove to be milestone in the development of the country’s tourism industry," Minister Magar said.

Speaking at a face-to-face programme organized by Reporters’ Club, he said that additional two wide-body aircrafts will be purchased after six months.

He informed that the government is planning to upgrade the Bhairahawa Airport into a regional one, build a second international airport at Nijgadh of Bara district.

Referring to the verdict made by the Supreme Court regarding the tenure of the Constituent Assembly, he said that the new constitution should cover interests of all the groups.

He, however, said that the constitution would be drafted within the stipulated timeframe. The issues related to army integration, state restructuring, form of governance, election system and judiciary must be resolved, he said.

The intra-party rift within the UCPN-Maoist could never create any hurdle in the ongoing peace and constitution writing process, he said.

The party’s faction dedicated to peace and constitution has become stronger and the dissenting faction is turning weak, he said.