Indecisiveness preventing airport modernisation: Parliamentary p

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) Indecisiveness on the part of the civil aviation ministry is preventing the modernisation process of Kolkata and Chennai airports, a parliamentary panel has said.

Privatised airports like Delhi and Mumbai are also not providing desired amenities to air travellers, the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture said in a report tabled in parliament.

''The committee finds that the modernisation and expansion of some metro airports, particularly of Kolkata and Chennai, is on hold for one reason or the other and privatised airports like Delhi are not giving desired amenities to air passengers,'' said the panel headed by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

It said even the tourism ministry is finding it difficult to get space at Delhi and Mumbai airports to display their publicity material meant for information to foreign tourists.

Regarding modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports, the parliamentary scrutiny body said it is constrained to note that the indecisiveness is preventing the modernisation plans of the two airports.

Noting that profits of Air India and Indian have declined, the committee said their merger and proper synergisation of resources will increase both physical and financial performance of government-owned carriers.

It recommended that a proper exercise should be carried out to identify the likely expenditure involved in the merger of both airlines and provision for it should be made accordingly in the budget at the revised estimates stage.

UNI