Revamping airports is certainly one of the right paths to take if India needs to keep pace with, and sustain its flourishing economy. But as with any activity that is associated with the “P” word, this too has the potential to crashland with–who else–the Left’s piloting. Merely appointing E Sreedharan is not enough: he should be allowed to function. In a somewhat self-glorifying style but one which makes eminent sense, Sreedharan wants absolute government non-interference. The TOI article is written in a different context but what applies to the goose…

The Airports project has already generated controversy over the bidding issue. Read Rediff’s superb two-part analysis on the issue. All parties want as big a share in the pie as they can manage to secure. In this the stakes are heavily loaded against the Left if it allows the UPA to rope in the private sector. This explains its insistence that the Airports Authority take up the revamping project.

It suffices to even briefly examine the Left’s argument in favour of the AAI.

“Unshackle the AAI … They have the expertise to develop airports whereas some (of the bidders in the restructuring of Delhi, Mumbai airports) have experience in building shopping malls and some others petrol pumps,” CPM MP Mohd Salim said while participating in a special discussion on the need to develop airport infrastructure.

He said investible funds for AAI’s plans to develop the two major metro airports would come on its own if the process was carried out in a “credible and transparent” manner.

Charity begins at home. More than ten years ago, PVN and Manmohan Singh slightly unshackled a communist the economy, a move which has thankfully continued till date despite Left-sponsored roadblocks. The most vociferous–even violent–opponents of this unshackling has been the Left. It therefore sounds strange to hear the same mantra uttered by those who oppose unshackling. Whatever the truth in Salim’s remark on the bidders’ expertise, he should look at his party’s record in fostering economic growth. Only four months ago, the unions under his party’s umbrella organized a massive strike which apart from causing inconvenience, cost the economy dear. Did I forget to mention that more than 20000 of these “strikers” were airport personnel?

The nationwide strike called by over 50 million workers from banks, insurance sector, PSUs, post, etc, and nearly 20,000 airports employees that began on Thursday has disrupted banking and air services and affecting normal life across the country.

The 12-hour strike called by Airports Authority Employees Joint Forum started at 0700 hours and will end at 1900 hours. Late Wednesday night, the forum had scaled down the 24-hour strike to 12 hours.

(Rediff)

Comrade Salim’s note on garnering investment for the project defies logic. He also needs to define “credible and transparent.” And then he cites Asian airports as examples of world class infrastructure and asks us to learn from them.

Asking the government to “give a chance to best professionals and technocrats”, he said the latest global survey on world-class airports had shown that six of the top seven airports were in Asia. “Take lessons from them and leave Delhi and Mumbai airports to the AAI”.

Of the Asian airports I have visited, the ones that have impressed me most are Singapore and KL. But Salim’s view is different. And revealing.

Making a case for developing Greenfield airports in Delhi and Mumbai, Salim said China has developed another airport at Pudong, which is very close to Shanghai.

Is that the only reason India should develop a Greenfield airport? If the AAI was as Salim says competent, what was it doing all these years? “It was shackled,” comes the reply. Now, when the present proposal seeks to remove the shackles, the Left screams “down with privatisation!”

Praful Patel has proved to be a sensible Minister who seems to know his job and has ambitious plans on paper.

…Patel said, “the Ministry has prepared a detailed roadmap to make the existing airports of international quality. Thirty-five domestic airports in the country would be upgraded by 2009″…. The upgradations at all major airports were also being done to facilitate the numerous private airlines that were providing air-connectivity to various cities of the country… Announcing that the Civil Aviation sector will soon be the highest investment and employment sector, Patel said the national carriers Air India and Indian airlines were planning jointly to purchase Rs 44,000 crore worth new aircraft.

Praful Patel should at no cost allow the Left to hijack his flight plan.