Updated on Monday, June 29, 2009, 21:39 IST

Kathmandu, June 29: In a novel way to check corruption at the country's only international airport, Nepal's anti-corruption body has made it mandatory for employees to wear pocketless trousers.

The authority said it was issuing the new, bribe-proof garment to all airport officials after finding widespread corruption at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

"After sending a team to observe growing complaints about the behaviour of airport authorities and workers towards travellers, airport authorities discovered the reports were true," said an official at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority.

"We have decided that airport officials should be given trousers without any pocket," the official said. The ministry of civil aviation has been instructed to implement the instruction immediately," he added.

The new rule has been enforced following increasing incidents of theft and bribe-taking at the airport. Earlier Prime Minister Madhav Mumar Nepal had expressed fears that corruption was tarnishing the airport's reputation.

Bureau Report