The government has recently endorsed the Civil Aviation Security Regulations paving way to keep Indian air marshals.
–Prakash Jwala

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Opposition lawmakers on Monday raised serious concerns in the parliament over the reported Indian proposal of seeking shelter for its air marshals in Kathmandu for security of Indian airplanes.

The members of parliament representing different opposition parties asked the government to make its stance clear in the House regarding the issue.

Speaking during the Special Hour of the parliament, lawmaker of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party  Anuradha Thapa Magar said that the proposal is a part of an Indian plan to take over Nepal. “Those asking for shelter now will wish for establishing a barrack later. Then, the families of the air marshals should be provided with quarters,” she said.

Saying that the government should not ink any such agreement or enforce regulation, lawmaker Thapa Magar questioned why the government has maintained silence regarding such a sensitive issue.

Also speaking during the Special Hour, CPN-UML lawmaker Prakash Jwala expressed displeasure over the proposal of seeking shelter for Indian air marshals and the government preparing a regulation to pave way for it. He expressed astonishment on the news report that Indian air marshals arrive in Nepal in Jet Airways flights.

“India had been pressing Nepal to allow it to deploy air marshals here,” he said, adding, “The government has recently endorsed the Civil Aviation Security Regulations paving way to keep Indian air marshals. It should be voided as it is a threat to national security.”

India has been seeking such facility for its air marshals from Nepal expressing security concerns since a long time. India has been particularly concerned about its security since the hijack of an Indian Airlines flight No IC 814 in December 1999 by a group of militants from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Meanwhile, Jwala asked the concerned ministers to answer the parliament about the smuggling of gold, drugs and foreign currencies through TIA and urged the government to take stringent action against those involved in smuggling.

Likewise, lawmaker Thapa Magar also urged the government to take action against those staffers at Nepal Electricity Authority, who were found to be involved in anomalies and irregularities. She also asked to probe high level officials and former ministers for their possible involvement in such anomalies. She also raised concerns over irregularities at Nepal Oil Corporation and urged the government to take action against corrupt officials.

 
• lawmakers
 
• indian proposal
 
• air marshals