KOCHI: What would have been a novel collaborative venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and state-owned Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd (KSIEL) to set up an international courier facility at the Trivandrum International Airport has come unstuck a good four years after it was conceived. The flashpoint came when the AAI unilaterally staked claim to the project and pushed out KSIEL.
While it is reliably learnt the AAI is looking to bring in a private player into the equation, the Customs department has not granted clearance to the project, citing security reasons.‘‘Granting clearance to KSIEL, a government organisation, was not an issue.
But if a private agency handles the courier facility on AAI's behalf, then it'll pose major security challenges as such services are largely used by rackets to smuggle in and out contraband and other banned items,’’ said a senior Customs officer. As per the latest development, AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Ltd has started the tendering process to find a private agency to run the courier service.
Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar told Express they had not given licence to the AAI. ‘‘We need to have clarity on certain points,’’ he added.It was in 2013 the AAI and KSIEL had signed an agreement for setting up the facility. As per that, the KSIEL would construct a building on the Chackai side of the airport and run it there.The AAI has come up with an argument saying it took over the project after KSIEL expressed inability to run it, something the latter has totally denied.
KERALA State Industrial Enterprises Limited (KSIEL) managing director Febi Varghese said the state government decided to hand over the project to the Aairports Authority of India (AAI) after it claimed to be the custodian of the entire project.
“In fact, we were ready to run the project. We also got clearance from the Customs,” he said, adding that the AAI paid KSIEL more than `1 crore, which was spent for developing the facility.AAI director George G Tharakan said it decided to take over the project after KSIEL expressed lack of expertise in running the facility.
“We never had any issue with the KSIEL. In fact, they only approached us saying they are not in a position to run it. We have their statement in the minutes of the meeting which was held between the state government and AAI. We have initiated the process to get the Customs clearance and the facility will start operations soon,” he added.
Short takes
■ The Airports Authority of India, it is learnt, looks to bring in a private player into the project
■ Tendering process is on to find a private agency to run the courier service
■ The Customs department has not granted clearance to the project, citing security reasons