Is China a threat to India, Left MP asks PM

A CPI(M) MP has asked the Govt to clarify whether China was considered a security threat in supplying aerobridges.

A CPI(M) MP has asked the government to clarify whether China was considered a security threat in supplying aerobridges for Indian airports, as a Chinese company's bid was rejected on that count by the Airports Authority of India despite it being the "lowest".

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In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rajya Sabha member Tapan Sen referred to an affidavit filed by AAI before the Delhi High Court, which maintained AAI was within its right to reject any tender for security reasons.

The AAI, he said, had maintained in the affidavit that after 9/11, security threat perceptions had changed and "a fresh categorisation of sensitive, hyper-sensitive and airports in border areas" was carried out by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

Sen said the Court had observed in the case that under the garb of security reasons, the respondent (AAI) was not open to create a monopoly.

He pointed out that the bid by the Chinese company, M/S Shenzen Cimac-Tianda Airport Support Ltd, was the lowest at Rs 79.10 crore, which was rejected on security grounds, leaving a single bidder, Spain's M/S ThyssenKrupp, that quoted Rs 189 crore for the same job.