Private airports and private airlines can be requisitioned during a war

New Delhi: The Government is rewriting the Union Warbook, its manual for war, to keep pace with reforms, technology and new threats. The Warbook was last updated in 1992.
Fifteen years later, while private players dominate crucial infrastructure sectors such as telecom and aviation, an inter-ministerial group is working on a set of sweeping changes in the Warbook. The changes will give the government overriding powers over private players if and when the country goes to war.
• The Civil Aviation ministry has been asked to prepare a contingency plan so that greenfield and private airports and private airlines can be requisitioned during a war. The years of liberalisation have seen a major presence of private players in the sector—operating not just airlines but important airports as well.
The Power ministry has been asked to prepare a contingency plan—keeping in mind the private power plants and distributors, to “control private sector to divert electricity to public sector/contribution” in case of a war.
The Home ministry has been asked to involve private security agencies in providing security to various vital/sensitive installations/ establishments, both in the government and private sectors.
24/03/07 Shubhajit Roy/Indian Express

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Categories: General Aviation Mar 2007, Safety Mar 2007