Thursday, February 23 2006 20:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Nothwithstanding their stand that modernisation of airports should not be done through privatisation, the CPI(M) is non-committal on the mode of modernisation of Kolkata airport, leading to differences with Left Front partner CPI.

The CPI wants the CPI(M) to include the no-privatisation clause in the Left Front manifesto for the coming assembly polls, in line with the left parties' stand on modernization of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

"We are for modernisation of the Kolkata airport, but we are opposed to privatisation," CPI leader and the party's state secretary Manju Kumar Mazumdar told sources.

Elaborating, he said that CPI wants that the Left Front's manifesto should clearly state the modernisation of Kolkata airport should be taken up by Airport Authority of India like the left parties stand on New Delhi and Mumbai airports.

The manifesto, while referring to Centre-state relations, has merely a one line sentence on airport modernisation which states "the job of Kolkata airport modernisation would have to be taken up."

CPI(M), however, has reservation on categorically saying in the manifesto about the mode of modernisation of Kolkata airport.

"We are committed to modernise Kolkata Airport. We have spelt out in the manifesto. Left Front partners have all agreed on this point. Why should we elaborate on the method of modernisation?" CPI(M) state secretary and Politburo member, Anil Biswas, said.