Statutory motion defeated in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi, May 21:
A statutory motion on
user charges imposed on air travellers and carriers by private airports in
Delhi and Mumbai was defeated in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The Civil Aviation
Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, assured the Upper House that the Government would take
a look into apprehensions raised by members that the charges were arbitrary,
and would come back to the House very soon.
The Opposition members
had alleged “major corruption” in the way the private airports were allowed to
collect airport and user development fees.
The statutory motion,
moved by CPI (M) MP, Mr K.N Balagopal, demanded amendments in the controversial
Airports Authority of India (Major Airports) Development Fees Rules, 2011. The
Rules permitted the private airports to levy airport development fees from
passengers.
Mr Singh said neither
the Constitution nor any laws have been subverted to impose user charges in
Mumbai and New Delhi. He said the Comptroller and Auditor General had been
entrusted to audit the accounts of both the airports.
He said the amount was
high as the charges for five years had been squeezed to be charged in two years
“due to the delay in their implementation.” Mr Singh maintained that the
charges would not be applicable after March 2014.
CPI (M) rescue
The Opposition members
were not satisfied with his reply. The Bahujan Samaj Party walked out and Mr
Balagopal pressed for division.
Other Opposition
members also supported him. However, CPI (M) leader, Mr Sitaram Yechury, came
to the rescue of the Minister and wanted an assurance that concerns raised
would be addressed and the decisions made available to the House.
Later, Bharatiya
Janata Party spokesperson, Mr Prakash Javadekar, said the CPI (M) helped the
Government resolve the crisis.
“This shows their
seriousness in raising the plight of passengers. We were ready to help them and
they did not want voting,” he said.
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