New Delhi, May 9: The CPM has alleged that the modernisation of airports is being deliberately delayed to allow “backdoor” privatisation.

Sitaram Yechury, in a letter written in his capacity as chairman of the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene to “end this interminable delay in the process of airport modernisation” in Calcutta, Chennai and other cities.

“Certain arms of your government are deliberately delaying the process in order to privatise the modernisation of airports through the back door,” he alleged.

Yechury pointed out that the Prime Minister’s committee on infrastructure had decided to develop the city-side of airports, that covers commercial space, through private-public partnership (PPP). But, he added, this was “reversed” by an inter-ministerial group (IMG).

The CPM leader quoted the IMG’s minutes as saying the scope of work on the projects through the PPP model would “include commercial operations and maintenance of terminal buildings, development and operations of cargo and real estate development on land identified for the purpose”.

On this basis, Yechury said, the Planning Commission had prepared a model concession agreement for PPP — for 30 years for terminals and for 60 years for real estate development.

Civil aviation minister Praful Patel today said work on the modernisation of the Calcutta and Chennai airports had been delayed by a couple of months, but the process of short-listing construction firms and related activities were on. “It is an overlapping process,” he said.

Asked about Yechury’s letter, he said the terminals would be “managed and maintained by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). It is only the allocated commercial space that will be run by private parties. Our view is categorical”.

When pointed out that the CPM leader had referred to an inter-ministerial group decision to “privatise” the management of terminal buildings, Patel said: “Various opinions have been expressed in the IMG. This does not mean that these are the views of the government. The Planning Commission has also given some suggestions.”

He added: “The government does not subscribe to the IMG’s views. The PM’s infrastructure committee has decided that the non-metro airports would be managed and maintained by the AAI and the city-side development will be done only through joint venture partnerships.”