CPM doubts legality of airport bidding

Questioning the legality of the process for awarding contracts for modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, the CPI(M) today said it was the beginning of dismantling of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Supporting the strike by the AAI employees, the CPI (M) Politbureau said, "The manner in which the bidding and contracting out to private consortiums has been conducted has raised serious doubts about the legality of the process. It is shocking that the eligibility criteria has been changed arbitrarily."

The statement said the UPA government had taken a "conscious decision" to privatise airports in India and dismantle the authority, which was a profit-making public sector enterprise.

There is "no other way to interpret" the decision to ignore the authority's proposal for modernisation of the two airports which had been pending since June 2003 and to hand over the airports to private entities, the CPI(M) said.

"The dismantling of the AAI is certain since 65 per cent of its revenue is derived from these two airports...There is a concerted campaign to discredit the AAI. Without allowing them to modernise the airports, they are being accused of incompetence in building and running world-class airports," the CPI(M) said.

Party General Secretary Prakash Karat said other people, too, were raising questions about the legality of the process. "We are with the workers," he said.

Meanwhile, the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said the government's decision to "privatise" the two airports was "highly provocative" and "confrontationist".