Lamjung. Gopi Prasad Gurung, a retired Subedar of The Indian Army from Besisahar Municipality-9, Bimdabesi, feels that when 21-year-old Lakka returned home after taking his first leave in his youth, his father, neighbours and relatives had all gone to dig the air field at Sittaleswara in Nalma.

For a few days, he also went there. Many villagers not only from Baglungpani, Nalma, Gaunshahar, Purankot, but also from turlungkot, Sindure and Duradanda around Sittaleswara were engaged in digging the airfield in Doko and Dhakar carrying samal, tumal, gal, ganti, kuto spade, sickle, khurpa, bancharo. That was 60 years ago.

At that time, he felt as if the fair of Chaite dashain was going on when he saw the villagers engaged in labor donation in Free. Some dig, some cut trees, and some throw stones. Their only dream was to prepare the ground in a few days and be able to board the plane when it arrives. But, ironically, the dreams of the people of the district have not yet been realized.

Although the construction of the airport was started in 2021÷22 BS at the then Nalma VDC-2 and the present Besisahar Municipality-5, Sittaleswara, it has been limited to playgrounds and pastures due to lack of necessary budget allocation. Although the locals showed enthusiasm, the project could not be completed as the government did not allocate the necessary budget to complete the construction.

The locals had dug the ground required for the airfield. Shrikant Adhikari of Duradanda, a member of the then National Panchayat, had come in a helicopter and gave a verbal contract for Rs 3,300. According to the locals of Bakhrejagat, after the contract was awarded by adhikari, various villages including Bakhrejagat, Nalma, Purankot, Gaunshahar, Baglungpani had donated shramdaan again.

Shyam Bahadur Gurung, chairman of the then construction committee, said that the initiative was taken to complete the construction by registering the construction committee in January 2064 BS under the leadership of the locals of Nalma, Purankot, Gaunsahar and Baglungpani. At his initiative, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had allocated Rs 1.83 million in the fiscal year 2064÷65 BS. In the first phase, works worth Rs 2.5 million were carried out by allocating Rs 700,000 from GVS and VDCs.

In the second phase of fiscal year 2065÷66 BS, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation provided Rs 2 million and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Provided Rs 1.5 million. According to the committee data, a total of Rs 6 million worth of works have been carried out in two phases, including widening the ground, lifting the wall, shifting and managing the drinking water line used by the locals.

According to Gurung, the budget was allocated for the construction of the air field when Prithvi Subba Gurung was the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. At that time, a technical team of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had carried out a detailed study of the airport on the direction of Minister Gurung. A technical group had prepared a map of 850 meters long, 150 meters wide i.e. 245 ropanis of land for twin otter aircraft. About 50 percent of the work was completed.

However, no budget has been allocated by any body for the remaining works, said Subedar Gopi Prasad Gurung, chairman of the construction committee. The ground has now become a grazing ground for the locals after the work was stopped due to lack of budget. Besisahar-Nalma road has been constructed through the same ground.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology and federal lawmaker prithvi Subba Gurung had said that he has been taking initiatives since the beginning as airfield is required in the district. He had also given priority to the agenda of the airfield in the elections. However, in the recent past, he has also said that the airfield cannot be built, said Gurung, chairman of the construction committee.

“The previous generation, which had hoped that the aircraft would come and board, has passed away,” gurung said, adding, “Perhaps now the desire of the people of Lamjung to board the plane from their own airport will not be fulfilled.” ’