CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Rail Ltd ( CMRL ) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) are at loggerheads over who should set up stalls at the airport metro station . Metro rail officials feel that they have the right to set up shops because the station is managed by them, whereas AAI feels that they should have a say because the building is on its campus.As the station is managed by CMRL, they floated tender and installed stalls including an ATM and forex counter, while AAI has moved one of its canteens to the ground floor of the station. Sources said the forex counter installed by CMRL took the airport authorities by surprise, and that it was the main reason for a discussion to be initiated between the agencies to work out a modality to use the commercial space in the station.However, CMRL’s eagerness to make the most of commercial space at the station has come as a blessing to air passengers . The forex counter offers foreign currencies at a cheaper rate than the ones in the airport. “The counter at the metro station is able to offer cheaper rates because the rent charged is not as high as the license fee charged by the airport,” said an official.Airport metro station is close to the terminals, and there is a view that businesses inside the station should not be in conflict with the ones in the airport.CMRL and AAI have started a discussion on who should have a say over stalls at the airport metro station.AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra met CMRL officials on Friday to discuss the issue and other potential areas where AAI and CMRL need to work together. An official said that it might take a month or two to decide on a policy. “The high level meeting is the first step,” he added.

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