The Hindu Business Line : Terms for airport modernisation in for review?

THE United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government could review the terms and condition for the modernisation of airports in the country. Official sources told Business Line that the newly appointed Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, is scheduled to hold a meeting in the next day or two to decide on the issue.

``There could be a slight delay in the modernisation of the airports. The Minister will be taking a review meeting in the next few days and some terms and conditions could be looked at again after the meeting. A final decision on the issue will be taken only after the review,'' highly placed Government sources said.

The issue assumes importance as June 4 is the last date for prospective bidders for the modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports to put in their bids. Till date only one consortium — the Mittal-owned Bharti Group which has tied up with Changi airport Singapore — has come out and announced that it would be bidding for the project.

Interestingly, the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) while talking about the development of infrastructure is silent on the issue of development of airports. However, officials indicated that the development of airports was very much on track under the new Government.

``Airport development is very much on track. Just because the word is not mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme does not mean anything. After all, the CMP talks about infrastructure and airport is a part of infrastructure development," said sources.

Soon after taking over as the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Patel had indicated that he would be meeting with the Prime Minister to seek his advice on the issue before going ahead with the modernisation of airports.

However, the Vajpayee Government had laid special emphasis on the development of airports and a four-member empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) was set up by the previous Government to expedite the modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

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