PM pulls out of BIAL launch

Jinx on Bangalore Airport continues

Vijay Times

Bangalore: The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) continued to be jinxed with the Prime Minister's Office at the last minute cancelling the scheduled ground-breaking ceremony which was to be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Thursday.
While the official version indicated that the Prime Minister had expressed reservations about his presence at the function with the code of conduct for the ensuing gram panchayat polls being in force, Government sources attributed it to the delay on part of the BIAL in achieving financial closure for the mega greenfield airport project, being left with hardly 45 days for completing the formalities by March 31.

Government sources told Vijay Times that, in case the BIAL failed to comply by the statutory provision by the stipulated date, the Prime Minister's presence at such a function could generate a debate, a possibility that the UPA Government wanted to avoid. For achieving the financial closure, the BIAL still needed to clear agreements with the Airport Authority of India, with its partner Zurich Airport Authority besides, signing the Engineers Procurement Contract.