KATHMANDU, July 8: Former Indian government secretary and author Anil Swarup has criticized Nepal Airlines Corporation for what he described as poor service and operational inefficiency, warning that unreliable air connectivity could undermine Nepal's tourism industry and efforts to boost domestic energy consumption.
Speaking at the Power Nepal Conclave 2026 organized by Nepal Republic Media on Wednesday, Swarup shared his recent experience with the national carrier, saying his scheduled 4 pm flight was delayed until midnight without prior notice.
"When we sought information at the airport, no one gave us a responsible answer. We finally arrived in Kathmandu at around 2:30 am," he said, questioning the message such service sends to foreign tourists and investors.
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Swarup argued that developing Nepal's tourism sector is essential for increasing domestic electricity consumption, but said the country's ambitions would remain difficult to achieve unless basic services such as aviation and transport improve.
"Nepal is talking about increasing electricity demand by promoting tourism and building quality hotels. But if the primary gateway for visitors—air transport—is this unreliable, how can the country expect energy consumption to grow?" he said.
He also observed that while both Nepal and India are democratic countries with no shortage of development plans, weak implementation remains a common challenge. He stressed that the success of major energy and infrastructure projects depends not only on policies but also on efficient public service delivery and better governance.
To improve decision-making within government agencies, Swarup recommended introducing digital tracking of official files to reduce bureaucratic delays.
Citing India's experience, he said the adoption of digital transparency had helped the country complete projects worth five trillion Indian rupees within 15 months, adding that Nepal should similarly make its administrative processes faster and more transparent.
