People's Democracy

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) condemned the decision of the government to transfer 35 non-metro airports in private hands despite Airports Authority of India’s (AAI)’s repeated assertion to modernise these airports on its own. In a clear case of deceit and deception, government has shifted from its earlier position that privatisation of Delhi & Mumbai airports for modernisation was necessary so that AAI could pool its resources to develop/modernise the 35 non-metro airports, stated CITU. It clarified that it had no illusion that this was a pretext to privatise all the major revenue earning airports of AAI and making AAI, redundant in the civil aviation sector. "CITU’s apprehension that under the cover of modernisation, the main objective in the case of Delhi & Mumbai airports was to permit commercial use of prime land by estate-developers masquerading as private partners has come true as government has now come out clearly that private sector would take up jobs of terminal side and city side development. CITU again warns the government of major land scam if it goes ahead with its present plan. The idea of taking out non-metro airports for privatisation leaving out Kolkata and Chennai is obviously aimed to pressurise the two non-congress governments for following suit on the matter of modernisation of these two metro airports"

CITU cautioned the government again against such move and called for restraint. It called upon the people to oppose the mindless efforts towards privatisation in major areas of infrastructure, created with blood & sweat of the people, which is likely be followed in other areas like Railways as being pursued by the Planning Commission.