India's booming civil aviation industry will soon have a new policy to help upgrade and modernise the network and keep pace with global developments, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said.

'The deliberations from our side are over. We have sent the new policy draft to the cabinet secretariat for approval,' Patel told reporters after receiving the report of a high-level committee on aviation safety.

Patel also indicated the new policy would call for changes in some existing legislations to encourage the state governments to enter the industry and to set up an independent regulatory authority.

The new policy draft was prepared to capitalise, consolidate and strengthen the existing aviation industry infrastructure and expand the network across the country to sustain the annual growth of around 24 percent, officials said.

'Since the government does not have adequate resources, it is time to encourage private-public partnerships especially in areas like development of new airports and modernisation of existing ones,' Patel said.

The high-powered committee on aviation safety, chaired by former civil aviation secretary M.K. Kaw, has primarily advised the government to redefine the role of the aviation regulator.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the watchdog for the industry at the moment, but lacks statutory powers like the regulators for telecom or insurance, making some of its decisions arbitrary.

The Kaw committee has said the guidelines spelt out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) should be followed while redefining the role and functions of the new regulatory authority.

The committee has also said a new civil aviation act should be legislated to give legal status to the government's proposed new policy for the industry, and the regulator must be responsible for both safety and economic regulations.

'It is a matter of concern that India still awaits a comprehensive civil aviation policy and as a consequence, the Civil Aviation Act,' the committee said, along with a suggestion that the DGCA be made the apex body.

The panel also recommended the formation of an official cadre to man various positions in the DGCA.

As far as availability of airspace is concerned, the committee recommended that the 'management of control of airspace should rest with the ministry of civil aviation and its administration should be through a three-tier coordination mechanism between civil and military users'.

(www.dailyindia.com)