Airport apathy: Senior counsel to file PIL against AAI

Ahmedabad: After receiving complaints about the pitiable conditions for travellers at Sardar Patel International Airport and having experienced the hardships personally, senior counsel of Gujarat high court, Bhaskar Tanna, has issued notices to Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel and Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
In the notice, he said, "Though there were eight immigration counters, only four were operational late in the night which resulted in waiting for the passengers who had been travelling at a stretch for over 26 to 36 hours. As one tried to enter the main area of the airport, there was a queue of about 200 to 300 passengers waiting to get immigration clearance. Gujarat, which claims to be growing, cannot tolerate this. It sends wrong signals among the foreigners coming to the state."
According to the senior counsel, such queues are not even seen in underdeveloped countries. "Instead of four counters, there should be about 20 odd counters with dedicated staff. Generally, the staff on duty are sent on deputation and hence they are not bothered about performing their duties," he added.
Elaborating about the poor infrastructure, he said there are just two conveyor belts at the airport and only one of them is functional. He added that any passenger would have to wait for over an hour before getting his baggage and several times it turns up damaged.
10/06/10 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jun 2010