Keep on hold the handing over of airports: Left

New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) Left parties today demanded the government ''keep on hold'' the handing over of the Mumbai and Delhi airports to private-led joint venture firms till the issue was settled in the Supreme Court and thrashed out in Parliament.

While CPI(M) PolitiBureau member and Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat, in a letter to the Prime minsiter, asked for a clarification on whether the empowered GoM had exceeded its term by changing the criteria for selection of bidders, the CPI(M) Parliamentary Group Leader in Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta said his party would raise the issue during the extended Budget Session, opening on May 10.

Ms Karat's letter also raised the issue of the accountability of the executive saying the countrymen had to wait for judicial intervention for acts of ommission or commission by the Executive.

Mr Karat claimed the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had given a vague reply when her colleague Dipankar Mukhejee had sought clarification on whether the GoM had ''gone beyond its terms of referance by changing the eligibility criteria.'' The apex court has to take up the case on a petition filed by Reliance Airport Developers. It has decided to examine major contentious issues pertaning to the tender process, including the" ''lowering of standards and giving choice of opening of the financial bids,'' she noted.

She said the heavens would not fall if the two major airports were kept on hold as it would not affect the ongoing revamp and refurnishing jobs being undertaken by the Airports Authority of India.

Mr Dasgupta said he had earlier raised the issue in the parliament and asserted he would continue to take up the matter.

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