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Protest against privatisation of airports

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI SEPT. 18. A section of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) staff here resorted to a relay hunger strike from today to protest against the Government move to privatise the Mumbai and Delhi airports.

The AAI Employees' Union leader, Nitin Jadhav, said the strike would continue till September 25 and the staff would go on a mass casual leave on September 26. The further course of action would be decided after the Government's response to the agitation.

The Civil Aviation Secretary, K. Roy Paul, told a meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry that the process of privatisation had begun and the Government would invite expression of intent from prospective buyers in a month.

Mr. Paul said more airports were likely to be offered to private parties. There would not be any pattern in such offers, which would be made at random. The Supreme Court order against the privatisation of oil majors in the public sector would have no effect on the process of privatisation of the airports.

Mr. Jadhav said that the AAI got 70 per cent of its income from the Mumbai and Delhi airports and the Government intended to privatise only the profit-making airports. After the privatisation of these two airports, the AAI would be left with only loss-making airports.

No retrenchment in AAI: Rudy

PATNA Sept. 18. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Rajiv Pratap Singh Rudy, today sought to allay the fears of the striking employees of the Airport Authority of India that none of the employees would be retrenched in the event of privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Mr. Rudy told reporters that talks would be held with the employees union and he was sure the striking employees would allow for a smooth functioning of the airports.

Mr. Rudy claimed that once privatisation was complete, AAI employees would be sent on a three-year deputation with the private consortium which would bag the contracts.

At the end of the three-year period, it would be up to the employees whether to remain with the private employer or return to their parent set-up.

Similarly, it would be up to the new management to either retain those working on deputation or return them to the AAI.

In either case, the employees' livelihood would be safeguarded.

Replying to a question, he admitted that the two airports accounted for a profit of Rs. 350 crores, almost 70 per cent of the net profit of the AAI, but added that privatisation would quadruple the profits.

Only those bidders with security clearance and experience in international operations would be considered.

As regards the changed norms for Haj Pilgrims of barring Government subsidy to those paying income tax, Mr. Rudy denied that it would lead to a decrease in the number of pilgrims undertaking the journey and claimed that the profits of the Indian Airlines and Air India would, in fact, increase.

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