By IANS
New Delhi : A parliamentary committee has slammed the central government’s decision to close down the existing airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad once the new greenfield airports there start functioning later this month.
The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism & Culture in its report said the committee was distressed over the decision of the civil aviation ministry to shut down the two existing airports.
“The committee is opposed to this move by the government and urges it to reconsider its decision,” it said in the report.
The panel has also demanded immediate withdrawal of the user development fee (UDF) that the Bangalore and Hyderabad airports would charge from the passengers.
The developers of the two new airports have an agreement with the government to charge UDF from the passengers.
The panel has recommended that the government should address grievances of the employees of both airports.
The committee has also pulled up the government for its “reluctance” to accept its earlier unanimous recommendations presented to parliament without citing any reason. “This negates the very purpose of the Parliamentary Committee system,” it said.