Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture Margani Bharat on Thursday stated that the proposed Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was primarily intended to privatise the loss-making airports under the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Speaking at the meeting chaired by Standing Committee Chairman and MP T.G. Venkatesh in New Delhi, Mr. Bharat said, “The airports, including Vijayawada and Tirupati, will be privatised with the amendment. How can these two airports be privatised after investing nearly ₹950 crore on their modernisation and expansion?”
“The amendment will enable privatisation of six loss-making airports in Andhra Pradesh by handing them over to the private players either through bunching or pairing after the Bill becomes an Act,” Mr. Bharat, who is Rajamahendravaram MP, said.
“In Gujarat, nine airports, including the ones at Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot, have reported losses. I do not think that there will be any move to privatise these airports. Strengthening the AAI appears to be a robust solution to register better results,” said Mr. Bharat.
He further said that the Bill was against the guidelines of NITI Aayog, which mandates that not more than two airports should be given to the private developer in any State.
“The idea of bundling the airports and handing them over to the private players will be against the existing policies of the AAI and the Government of India,” he added.
