Margani Bharat, member of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, said on Thursday that the proposed draft law of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) 2021 is primarily intended to protect the loss-making airports under the Airports Authority of Privatize India (AAI).
Speaking at the meeting chaired by the Chair of the Standing Committee and MP TG Venkatesh in New Delhi, Mr. Bharat said: “The airports, including Vijayawada and Tirupati, will be privatized with the change. How can these two airports be privatized after investing nearly 950 billion yen in modernizing and expanding them? “
“The change will allow the privatization of six loss-making airports in Andhra Pradesh by handing them over to private actors either through pooling or pairing after the law goes into effect,” said Mr Bharat, MP for Rajamahendravaram.
“In Gujarat, nine airports, including those in Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, have reported casualties. I don’t think these airports will be privatized. Strengthening the AAI seems like a robust solution to getting better results, ”said Bharat.
He said the bill violates NITI Aayog’s guidelines that private developers should not have more than two airports in a state.
“The idea of pooling the airports and handing them over to private actors goes against the existing policies of the AAI and the Indian government,” he added.