People's Democracy

Halt Airports Privatisation

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on September 1

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is disturbed by the decision of the central government to go ahead with the bidding process to facilitate the privatisation of the Mumbai and Delhi Airports. The government has overlooked several key concerns like sustainability of the other airports which were till now being largely financed by the major profit earned by these two airports. There is also the inadequacy of the modernisation programme under private ownership in tackling airport infrastructure inadequacies in these projects and the uncertainty over the future of the employees of Airports Authority of India who are currently engaged in these two airports.

The government should pay attention to the 90th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture on Development of Airports Sector and its findings to the effect that the modernisation programme for the Mumbai Airport can only enhance its technical capability by 10 to 15 per cent and in any case will become redundant in addressing the growth projections beyond 2012. The assurance given earlier by the government to examine the alternative proposal of the Airports Authority of India Employees Joint Forum has also been ignored.

In these circumstances, the Polit Bureau urges the government to halt the present bidding process pending the resolution of these critical issues. (INN)