LUCKNOW: The proposed privatisation of Lucknow airport has moved a step further with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) seeking fresh request for qualification (RFQ) by May 31.
Sought by May 31, the RFQ comes up categorically with detailed requirements a private party will have to undertake in renovating the Lucknow airport.
According to the document, the private company will have to spend around Rs 500 crore to renovate the existing terminal building which got constructed in 2009 at an estimated cost of around Rs 200 crore.
The RFQ document goes on to say that the concessionaire will be required to re-carpet the runway, construct three additional hangars, expansion of terminal building, construct boundary wall, a new cargo terminal and relocate the car park. Besides, the private company will also be required to construct a perimeter road and strengthen the existing perimeter road inside operational area. Also, a new fire station, an administrative block and an CISF barrack will also be required to be constructed by the company.
"The scope and cost, however, may be modified at the bidding stage. The investment is expected to be made within a period of three to four years in accordance with details to be provided at the bidding stage," the document said.
The AAI had decided to undertake operation, management and development of the Lucknow airport through public-private partnership (PPP) on an operate-manage-transfer (OMT) basis, and had decided to carry out the bidding process for selection of a private entity as the bidder to whom the project may be awarded on the terms to be specified in an operation, management and transfer agreement (OMTA). "The successful bidder shall be responsible for operating, managing and developing the Lucknow airport which will include the air side and city side," the RFQ document said.
This is for the fourth time the date of inviting RFQ has been extended by the AAI. First, it was due to lack of interest shown by private parties and then because the model code of conduct of the election commission came into force
Not surprisingly, the development, however, has set off fresh resentment amongst airport employees who have been seeking cancellation of any such move by the ministry of civil aviation. Some of them, in fact, claim Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh, who is now Union home minister, had promised them the "government property will not be allowed to be sold off".
"We had also met Narendra Modi during the electioneering days. He too had promised to take up the case,'' said AAI employee union president, Vivek Pandey.