The Hindu Business Line : Greater transparency in fleet acquisition: Praful Patel

THE Government is keen to bring about much greater transparency into the Rs 20,000-crore 71-aircraft fleet acquisition plan of Air India and Indian Airlines.

"There is need for more transparency. The existing laws can be made more transparent. The eternal mud-slinging has to be put to rest by making the procedures more transparent," the newly appointed Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, told Business Line.

While pointing to the fact that the two airlines have not been able to acquire aircraft for the past 15 years, Mr Patel said that it would be wrong to discuss the details of what was being worked out to bring about transparency till the proposal had been discussed at the highest level of the Government. Official sources indicated that a final roadmap for bringing in greater transparency is likely only after a meeting between the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Minister for Civil Aviation.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister is likely to be kept abreast of the ground realities in the fleet acquisition plans although no date has yet been fixed for the meeting. However, the move to bring about greater transparency is unlikely to mean that the Government will question either the type of aircraft, which has been chosen by the technical committee of the two airlines or the pricing.

" The Government is keen to ensure that there is transparency in the process and the best possible price is negotiated for the deal," officials said. While the IA board had cleared a proposal for the acquisition of 43 Airbus aircraft in March 2002, the AI board cleared a proposal to acquire 28 aircraft, including 10 Airbus A-340 and 18 Boeing 737-800 aircraft only late last year.