Delhi, Mumbai airports outside ambit of tripartite panel

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) Government officials said today the Delhi and Mumbai airports are not within the ambit of a tripartite panel set up on the issue of modernisation of airports.

Their views emerged as representatives of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees met for the second time. The tripartite committee was set up by the civil aviation ministry in the wake of a four-day strike by airport employees last month.

AAI Employees Joint Forum convenor M K Ghoshal, who is a member of the tripartite panel, told reporters after the meeting that the present United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is backtracking on a decision taken by previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

''The NDA government had concluded that modernising Delhi and Mumbai airports fell within the scope and competence of the AAI,'' said Mr Ghoshal.

''Moreover, the UPA's common minimum programme says that no profit-making public sector units will be privatised. Still, the civil aviation ministry is going ahead with privatising Delhi and Mumbai airports.'' The AAI employees submitted an alternate plan for revamping the two metro airports last year. ''We want to know whether it has been accepted or rejected by the government. If rejected, we want to know the reasons for it,'' said Mr Ghoshal.

No date has been fixed for next meeting of the tripartite panel.

UNI SU SR HT1945