Ministries cross swords over airport kiosks

According to an Aviation Ministry missive, since the Tourism Ministry is indulging in ‘‘commercial activities’’ like bookings and reservations, it should pay commercial rents to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) — the body which runs the airports.

Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury has, however, refused to comply with the order and has sent off a letter last week explaining her ministry’s position on the matter. Sources say the letter underlined the fact the Tourism Ministry is the ‘‘appropriate agency’’ as a first-stop shop for providing services to tourists.

It is also a ‘‘one-stop shop’’ for all the services required by a disembarking tourist — taxis, hotels and tourist information. And as the government department responsible for such duties, there is nothing ‘‘commercial’’ about carrying out its job.

It is not the first time the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Tourism Ministry have crossed swords about territorial rights. The ongoing battle between the two ministries over the non-payment of rental bills by ITDC in the airports has witnessed several showdowns, including court intervention.

The ITDC, an arm of the Tourism Ministry, runs the duty-free shops at international airports, but it has not being paying its bills in the last couple of years.

Aviation sources snigger at the fact that though ITDC participated in the competitive bids for renting and operating the shops, it has been unable to pay its rent. When the matter went to court last year, the verdict further exposed the irony — the court decreed the two ministries were wasting time as both were government departments and therefore, the matter should be settled outside.