KATHMANDU, Jan. 24: Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Bijay Kumar Gachchadar receiving TIA security probe panel report in Kathmandu, Monday.

Kathmandu, Jan.24:The high-level investigation committee, formed the following day of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight 814 on December 24 last year to investigate the security system at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), submitted its report to the government today.

Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Minster for Tourism and Civil Aviation, received the 63-page report during a formal ceremony at his office this afternoon from Hem Bahadur Singh, former Inspector General of Police, who headed the five-member investigation committee.

“The government will study the report and make its recommendations public very soon before they are implemented,” said Gachhadar. “Since the report is related to national security and is also a sensitive issue, its contents will be revealed only after being studied and discussed by the Ministers’ Council.”

He further said that he would “most probably present the report for discussion” in the cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday. “Then after, the report will be made officially public.”

The minister also said that the government had already begun a separate investigation on the hijack episode to investigate issues like who were the hijackers, among others.

The report, according to Singh, has recommended the review of the security system at the TIA and make it more efficient in keeping with the demand of time. “The recommendations also include points for immediate implementation and for the long term as well to make the TIA’s security arrangement more reliable and trustworthy.”

The recommendations, he further added, was based on the analysis of the facts derived in course of investigation, on the spot inspections and inquiry with those on duty at TIA on the day the hijack took place. He would not elaborate further on the report.

Amidst pressing queries from reporters, Singh said his job was done after the submission of the report to the government and that he was unable to comment on its content since “it was a confidential report.”

The government formed the high level committee on December 25 last year after the Indian Airlines’ Airbus was hijacked some half an hour after it took off from the TIA a day earlier. The hijackers, yet to be officially identified, made the aircraft land at several airports in the region and the Middle East before holding the 155 passengers hostages in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

On the eighth day of hijacking, they released the passengers and the crew members in exchange of three militants freed by the Indian Government.

The committee, initially required to submit the report within fortnight, had extended its deadline for another 15 days.