Monday, May 8 2006 14:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The CPI(M) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to clarify in Parliament whether the empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) for modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports had exceeded its terms by changing the criteria for selection of bidders.

Polit Bureau member and MP Brinda Karat, in a letter to Singh, also demanded that handing over of these airports to private-led joint venture firms be kept on hold till the issue was clarified in Parliament and clinched by the Supreme Court.

"It is quite unfortunate that accountability of Executive to Parliament is being undermined to an extent that one has to wait for judicial intervention for acts of omission or commission by the Executive," she said.

She requested the Prime Minister to intervene and clarify the issue on the floor of the House before the Supreme Court takes up the case, on a petition filed by Reliance Airport Developers, on June one.

Claiming that Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel 'evaded reply' on the issue during discussion in Parliament in the last session, Karat said her party colleague Dipankar Mukherjee had sought to know whether the eGoM had gone beyond its terms of reference by changing the eligibility criteria.

She said putting the transfer of the two major airports on hold would have no impact on the ongoing revamp and refurbishing jobs now being undertaken by the Airports Authority of India.

The apex court has decided to examine major contentious issues relating to the tender process, including the lowering of standards and giving choice on opening of the financial bids.