According to a PTI report, a parliamentary panel yesterday recommended immediate withdrawal of User Development Fees (UDF) being charged by Hyderabad and Bangalore airports, saying that private operators had invested only Rs 330 crore and Rs 240 crore respectively to develop them. Observing that the government's policy was to make air travel more affordable, the Parliamentary Standing Committee said the UDF imposed on passengers "may be withdrawn immediately and no more UDF may be imposed on passengers in any airports."
The Committee, headed by CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, also said any future Greenfield or Brownfield airports should be developed with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) having a majority stake in a Joint Venture. Parliamentary panel said that while the equity contribution of the private consortia which developed Bangalore airport was only Rs 240 crore, the same for Hyderabad was Rs 330 crore. The rest of the financing came from state support, AAI, the state governments and through debt from financial institutions, it said in its report on the functioning of private airports, tabled in Parliament yesterday. |