The Planning Commission has asked the civil aviation ministry to speed up work on leasing of metro airports.
It has asked the ministry to consult the law ministry and come up with a proposal to develop an alternative legal structure for leasing of the airports.
Planning Commission deputy chairman K C Pant met senior officials of the civil aviation ministry here today to review the progress on restructuring of the four metro airports.
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He is understood to have pushed for a quick decision on the matter. Civil aviation minister Shahnawaz Hussain however, did not attend the meeting.
While the Cabinet has approved the restructuring of the metro airports through a long-term lease, the Airports Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, which was placed in Parliament in 2000, is pending with the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
The enactment of the Bill was likely to take time, and a route needs to be identified to lease these airports under the existing policy, officials said.
The civil aviation ministry had initially proposed going in for joint ventures through a concession agreement between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the successful bidder.
The law ministry had suggested formation of an independent company under the joint venture route comprising of AAI and a private partner.
However, Solicitor General Harish Salve is opposed to the view opining that formation of a company was not essential and a joint venture could be formed through a concession agreement.
There are three options available to the ministry for a legal framework, officials said: first, to accept the law ministry