NEW DELHI, May 18: The imposition of the new User Development Fee(UDF) on passengers at Delhi airport came under attack in the Rajya Sabha today with members saying it was high, especially questioning the levy for incoming passengers.
From May 15, passengers departing or arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA) here are shelling out more money with the introduction of UDF brought through an executive order last year amid criticism it was high.
Raising the issue through a statutory motion, K N Balagopal (CPI-M) sought modifications in the Airports Authority of India (Major Airports) Development Fees Rules. It was for the first time that incoming passengers are being asked to pay UDF.
He demanded that money already collected to the tune of Rs 1,481 crores by the airport management, which is being run in a PPP model, should be deposited in a separate account and utilised for improving facilities of airports run by Airports Authority of India. The member also sought a thorough audit of such funds by the CAG.
Members from several parties opposed the levying of user charges from both embarking and disembarking passengers at the Delhi airport and said these charges were the highest here in comparison to other airports in the world.
Balagopal said the particular rule is “basically illegal” and “ultra vires of the Constitution” and that private operators are “siphoning off” public money in the name of cost over-run, which needs to be audited.
Noting that they have reservations against this kind of user fee, Balagopal said, “…Do not kill the hen that lays golden eggs…This is an open case of loot. They can make profit of 10 per cent, 15 per cent of 25 per cent but 300 percent of profit is not acceptable.”
Najma Heptulla (BJP) said as government slept for years in formulating the rules, private operators kept charging user fee from passengers. She said levying user charges on both the embarking and disembarking passengers was unacceptable.
Praveen Rashtrapal (Cong) said AAI has the right to collect development fee, but the charges should be reasonable.
Departing international passengers will have to pay upto Rs.1,068 as UDF while for incoming passengers it will be upto Rs.881.10.
A domestic departing passenger will have to pay Rs. 462.80 for travel over 500 km, and an incoming passenger Rs. 391.60. For travel up to 500 km, a passenger should pay Rs. 231.40 for departure and Rs. 195.80 for arrival. (PTI)
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