Govt may look into AAI union's demand on MIAL land issue

Civil Aviation Ministry may look into the demand of AAI employees union for a CBI probe into the GVK-run Mumbai Airport land issue, on which public accounts watchdog CAG had last year rapped the government for its decision to grant an extension to the project.
"We will get it (CBI probe issue) examined," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said when asked whether his government would recommend CBI probe into the issue, asked by the union.
He also said that he had a meeting with his ministry officials as well GMR group executives over the registration of a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) by the CBI against Delhi International Airports Ltd (DIAL), GMR and unknown officials of Civil Aviation Ministry and AAI for alleged irregularities in the Delhi Airport land deal.

"(About) Delhi Airport there was a question that we have given them land of so many thousand crore of rupees...Recently I had called GMR people for their version (on the issue) and I also called my people for their version," Sharma said.
Alleging that the Mumbai Airport land "scam was bigger than the Delhi Airport land "scandal", the Airports Authority Employees union had recently requested the central investigating agency to probe the issue.
"Delhi Airport land is a big scam and the Mumbai Airport land (scam) is even bigger... Regarding Mumbai airport, the CAG report is in public domain... Please investigate Mumbai airport case also," AAEU had said in its request to CBI, the copies of which were also marked to the CVC, minister of Civil Aviation and AAI Chairman.

Sharma said that the GMR maintains that the land under question remains "government" land as it is on lease with the joint venture-DIAL and so there is no question of any "scam".
Both Mumbai and Delhi Airport are run under joint venture companies, namely MIAL and DIAL. While MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Ltd) is a 74:26 JV between a GVK-led consortium and AAI, DIAL is 74:26 JV between GMR-led consortium and the airports operator.
The previous UPA government had in 2006 handed over the two airports -- Delhi and Mumbai, which cater to the bulk of air traffic -- to two private companies, respectively, the GMR and GVK groups, for modernisation and operation under a revenue sharing agreement.