The comments were sought so that the new policy does not come into conflict with government decisions on disinvestment of Air-India and Indian Airlines and the proposed leasing of four international airports of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai to private parties.

At the proposed meeting likely to be held this week, the ministry would finalise its own views along with the suggestions of other ministries and private parties and prepare a note for the consideration and approval of the union Cabinet, they said.

A crucial feature of the proposed policy is the recommendation to set up a civil aviation regulatory authority, which would not only take care of consumer interests but also act as a mechanism to monitor tariffs charged by airports, cargo and chartered service operarors.

Mr Yadav recently said that his ministry's efforts on the policy were to address various issues, many of which could be currently considered hypothetical, to avoid complications in the future after disinvestment of the two airlines and leasing of the airports. In the context of disinvestment of the two airlines, the souurces said special social obligation clause would be included in the shareholders agreements so that, in the case of Indian Airlines, connections to the north-east, Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are continued.

The ministry was also considering the laying down of mandatory routes for private domestic operators, the sources said.

They said government would have its representatives on the boards of the two airlines even after privatisation to ensure that national interests were not neglected. The ministry had started work on the draft of civil aviation policy in January last year. It was redrafted following several suggestions and comments and placed on the official website Further comments were sought from the , private parties and several ministries and the ministry officials held many rounds of meeting after receiving the comments.

(PTI)