Doctor146;s orders

There8217;s a well-established process in Indian policymaking in which procedural controversies stall or even kill reform. The controversy ...

There8217;s a well-established process in Indian policymaking in which procedural controversies stall or even kill reform. The controversy over airport modernisation is at an early-middle stage of this process. MPs are raising objections over alleged conflicts of interest and questioning the competence of some of the bidders. The doubters are not uninfluenced by politics8212;some are being oppositional because they are in the Opposition, some are critical because they dislike private participation, even at a 49 per cent equity ceiling, in principle. The civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, did try to answer his parliamentary critics. But, going by past experience, only ministerial rebuttals may not be enough. Atal Bihari Vajpayee often intervened to rescue a policy. Manmohan Singh should do the same with airport modernisation.

The prime minister should step in to explain and clarify. He should then throw the weight of his office behind the policy. He has the advantage now of Left leaders like Prakash Karat saying a few sensible things on airport modernisation. Politically, therefore, it is crucial that Manmohan Singh raises the level of the debate, from name calling to reminding everyone how dangerously expensive a further policy delay would be. That would mean arguing firmly against another bidding process. Such an option is called for only in cases of proven, glaring wrongdoing. Not even the protesting MPs have gone anywhere close to saying that.

They have gone far enough about the Airports Authority of India, however. Going by parliamentary encomiums, AAI is a fine professional institution staffed by managers and workers of the highest calibre. Since the world at large doesn8217;t see AAI this way, the next big question before the government is what to do with this relic of socialist management principles. The policy so far is that Delhi and Mumbai airports will be modernised by private enterprises under AAI8217;s guidance. Such working arrangements can be wrecked by a few well-chosen disruptions. Or even a few parliamentary questions.