Govt may rethink airport privatisation issue

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel''s announcement on FDI cap of 49 per cent for the privatisation of Mumbai and Delhi airports, the government may have a rethinking on it.
The earlier decision of the NDA government to allow upto 74 per cent FDI was cleared by the Cabinet and hence it could not be changed without going back to the Cabinet, sources said.
Patel announced the decision but sources said there was no consultation with the Commerce and Industry Ministry, a nodal ministry for FDI policies.
The issue may now come up before the Cabinet as the CPM on Thursday opposed the decision announced on Wednesday and has asked the government to go slow on the issue.
CPM veteran Harkishan Singh Surjeet has also shot off a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel urging him to "shelve any plans to privatise airports in our country".