KOCHI: The move to re-impose airport user’s fee by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition in Kerala.
“We would oppose any move to impose user’s fee at the airport since it’s a blatant exploitation of hundreds of thousands of Keralites toiling abroad,” Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy said.
“This is the fifth airport in the world that has the highest investment-profit ratio and there’s no justification for taxing public with more profits in mind.”
The annual general meeting (AGM) of the CIAL last week left it to the board of directors to take an “appropriate decision” on the proposal to reintroduce the user’s fee that first came from the board itself. Majority of the stakeholders suggested levy Rs500 on each international passenger.
“We withdrew the user’s fee three years back as the airport was running on huge profit. This is a project that every Keralite sweating it out in foreign countries are proud of. Let’s keep their interest in mind while taking such decisions,” the former chief minister who was the chief guest at the NRI tourism investment meet here said.
The state government has 26 percent stake in the India’s first corporate airport company in which some 10,000 NRIs from 30 countries invested.
Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan heads the company and three ministers are its directors. Majority of stakeholders and the directors favor airport user’s fee to fund its diversification projects instead of clearing huddles for a public issue.
