The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has said that it will oppose the government’s move to privatise “revenue earning” airports of the country.
Reacting to the move to invite 'requests for qualification' from domestic and overseas private players to hand over the management and operation of the Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports, the CITU general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP, Tapan Sen, said the move is “shocking”, as it comes at a time when the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already invested Rs 5,000 crore (out of which Rs 3,700 crore has been spent only on modernisation and renovation of Kolkata and Chennai airports).
“For other airports also, thousands of crores of public money have been invested,” Sen said in a statement, adding that CITU will extend full support to employees of the sector for raising their voice against the move to privatise “revenue earning” airports. AAI employees had recently held nation-wide demonstrations against the move.
Quoting media reports, Sen also flayed the “authoritarian” attitude of the Civil Aviation Minister who reportedly said that he will not bother for any protest against the move.
“His comment proves beyond doubt that the move to handover readymade modernised and high revenue earning airports to private players is nothing but a calculated move to transfer huge public assets to domestic and foreign corporate houses… enabling them to earn huge revenue and amass enormous profit without any capital investment,” CITU said.