Air fare hikes during Dashain-Tihar draw objection in parliament

Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Ramesh Prasai has objected to airfares being sharply raised just ahead of Dashain-Tihar.

Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives, he accused airline companies of charging arbitrary fares by taking advantage of the surge in passenger numbers during the festivals.

According to MP Prasai, the one-way fare for flights to Dhangadhi from October 16 has reached around Rs 16,000. He said the fare for flights to Bhadrapur in Jhapa has also risen to around Rs 12,000.

He said fares are raised arbitrarily every year during Dashain-Tihar, with companies seizing the opportunity to profit. He also remarked sarcastically that airline companies get to enjoy chicken chilli while passengers are left with bottle gourd.

MP Prasai claimed there was black-marketeering in air tickets and drew the tourism minister's attention to the matter. He urged the tourism minister not to remain a mere spectator on this issue, and also demanded that the government carry out effective monitoring of air fares.