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The modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports will be delayed as the two airports no longer figure on the Government’s list of airports to be modernised through the public-private partnership route. At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sometime back, it was decided that the airports in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Guwahati will be upgraded through the PPP route during 2014-15. This is a deviation from the Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government’s decision to modernise six airports: Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Guwahati through the PPP route.
The UPA Government, which started the modernisation process in September 2013, hoped to award the contracts before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls kicked in. But the process was stalled due to differences between the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Civil Aviation on the model concession agreement for taking forward the projects.
Senior government officials, however, caution that one shouldn’t read too much into the present PM’s decision. Officials indicated that a supplementary list with more airports could be firmed up, although, no time line has been fixed yet for this list.
Explaining the decision to keep Chennai and Kolkata airports off the list, a senior official said that the Government is keen to develop airports in a holistic fashion, something believes it will be in a position to do as soon as a civil aviation policy is in place. “The need of the hour is to have an integrated multi-modal capability which will be in a position to enhance passenger conveniences and also generate greater revenue for the airports. The modernised airports should also have links with tourism spots and with national highways. This is probably the reason some of the cities which were on the list earlier are missing now,” sources said.
A draft policy is to be put up for stakeholders’ comments by mid-October and the Government is keen to incorporate suggestion that can help cut costs of operations of domestic airlines.
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