The construction of Pokhara International Airport has finally kicked off 16 months after laying the foundation stone.

The government had signed a $215.96 million soft loan agreement with China EXIM Bank in March 2016 for the construction of a new airport in Pokhara, one of the national pride projects.

The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had laid the foundation stone for the airport on April 13, 2016.

Similarly, CPN (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML senior leader Jhalanath Khanal, then Deputy Prime Minister duo Kamal Thapa and Bijay Kumar Gachhadhar, former Minister for Foreign Affairs Ananda Prasad Pokharel and Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashanka Koirala had also laid stones at the construction site.

Though the construction process was started following an agreement between the two countries during former Prime Minister Oli’s visit to China, the process was stalled later.

Pokhara folks were elated after the construction of airport gathered momentum lately.

Albeit the construction was started on July 11, 2017, Minister for Foreign Affairs Jitendra Narayan Dev on Wednesday formally inaugurated the construction of the airport.

On the occasion, Minister Dev said that the country would head towards prosperity and development after the construction of the airport.

“The construction of the airport has started from today after a long struggle,” said the minister, adding, “Pokhara should set an example at a time when the national pride projects are moving at snail’s pace.”

The construction of airport has started after concluding legal process between the two counties.

The first year of construction would be designing phase and the airport would be handed over to Nepal within July 10, 2021.

As many as 110 workers from Nepal and China have been deployed at the construction site.

The construction of offices and residences, among other infrastructures, has started now.

Coordinator of the Pokhara International Airport Construction High-Level Committee lawmaker and Development Committee of the Parliament Chairperson Rabindra Adhikari expressed his hope that the construction of airport will be completed within the set timeframe.