Delhi High Court condemned the slogans of Make in India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat as a mere hypocricy of the Modi government. While hearing a petition by the Centre for Aviation Policy, Safety and Research, the High court made this scathing remark while addressing the change in the qualification of companies in the tenders set out to provide ground handling services at various regional airports.
The High Court bench comprising of Justice Vipin Sangh and Justice Rajneesh Bhatnagar issued notice to the Center and AAI seeking its reply and also directed that the validity of the allotment of tenders will depend on the decision at the disposal of the petition.
The bench said, “It is a matter of great sadness that the government on the one hand is talking about become ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atma-Nirbhar’ and on the other hand it takes out such tenders which small companies fail to sustain”
The bench added, “It seems that if you(government) want to remove these people(small companies), then say that way”. “You talk big in your speeches. Your political leadership talks of Make in India, Atma Nirbhar Bharat, promoting local industries, but your actions do not match your words. You are completely hypocritical” – the High Court bench added.
The bench asked the Addition Solicitor General Sanjay Jain to speak to his political leadership to explain why you give a speech on Make in India if you want to go on like this. Sanjay Jain appeared on behalf of the Central Government and the Airport Authority of India (AAI). The bench questioned him, did they (political leadership) even know about it. The bench said, we say stop importing from this country or that country and on the other hand we are also failing our own entrepreneurs.
To participate in the tender process, a clause of around Rs. 35 crore fund and the ability to work with scheduled airlines has been made. Citing this, the High Court said, “You want to let big players (companies) with big pockets and maybe foreign get into the contract.”
You have overlooked the experience of chartered airlines of smaller players working at regional airports, where there are few incoming flights. The High Court said that if small players are not allowed to develop, then only a few established big players will be left who will want to impose their conditions on the government due to their market dominance.
