The Hindu Business Line : Panel on Delhi, Mumbai airport revamp to meet on Dec 21

THE empowered Group of Ministers looking into the restructuring and modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports is to meet here on December 21, even as the Left on Monday demanded that the Government scrap the on-going exercise and hand over the work for both the airports to Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Addressing a press conference here, the two Left Members of Parliament, Mr Nilotpal Basu and Mr Mohammed Salim, claimed that the bidding process had been marred by controversies with several potential bidders deciding against submitting their bids. They also alleged that there was a "conflict of interest" between legal, financial and technical consultants and the bidders.

Meanwhile, there is said to be no unanimity among the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) members on the route to be taken. Some members of the IMG were said to have given a dissenting opinions, although this could not be confirmed officially. The IMG includes the Secretary (Civil Aviation), a member from the Planning Commission and other senior Government officials.

Earlier this month, the IMG meeting remained inconclusive and its report to the e-GoM was returned. The e-GoM asked for a re-look within two weeks. Officials have all along maintained that the final decision on the restructuring and modernisation of the two airports will rest with the e-GoM. The Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, heads the six-member e-GoM. The Government has received six bids from top-notch industrial houses interested in participating in the restructuring of the Mumbai airport and five for the Delhi airport. The five bidders for Delhi airport included GMR in a tie-up with the operators of Frankfurt airport, Fraport, Reliance, which had submitted a bid with ASA Mexico, D.S. Construction that had a tie-up with the Munich airport, Macquire that tied up with Airport de Paris, and the Essel Group in association with Turkish airport operator TAV. For the Mumbai airport, the Government has also received a bid from the GVK group that has a tie-up with the South African Airport.