Airport revamp: Left replays tune

Seems the Left has to assert its identity every day. A day after Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told The Indian Express that he had got the Left and the unions on board on his plans to ‘‘restructure and modernise’’ the Delhi, Mumbai airports, Left leaders came out to say they didn’t like it.

‘‘The CMP states profit-making PSUs will not be privatised. The AAI is a profit-making PSU, so where is question of privatisation?’’ said Dipankar Mukherjee, a CPI(M) leader and RS member.

Incidentally, Mukherjee was among the Left leaders Patel met before annoucing the opening of bids and capping FDI at 49 pc. ‘‘If he played the sitar,’’ Mukherjee said, ‘‘I played the tabla. They want modernisation, there is Rs 2,000 crore in the AAI coffers. Let them use that.’’ CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta: ‘‘We are opposing the decision. The AAI can float debentures, bonds to raise resources. As for technology, it can always be hired, for that privatisation is not required.’’