Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Airport staff begin relay fast

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Sept. 18. Airport employees began a relay fast here today demanding the Central Government to repeal the decision to privatise airports.

The Mayor, J. Chandra, inaugurated the fast organised by the Airport Authority Employees Union before the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. The relay fast would continue till September 25. The employees would take mass leave on September 26.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) district secretary, M. Vijayakumar, said in a statement here today that privatisation of airports was harmful to the security of the nation. The law was passed in haste on the last day of Lok Sabha session without much discussion.

All airports under the Airports Authority of India were making profit. This year itself, the AAI had registered a profit of Rs. 500 crores. The profit was being used to support about 100-odd airports, which were yet to be developed, he said.

The decision to hand over the airports which were running in profit to private parties was unwarranted. It would also lead to the closure of airports which were functioning with the support of those which are generating profit, he said.

Airports have a very decisive role in the security of the country. The move was to privatise Thiruvananthapuram airport, which is generating profit, in the second phase. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Southern Air Command are closely linked to the airport. If private companies gain control of the terminal, it would lead to leakage of strategic secrets, he said.

The Supreme Court verdict against privatisation of the major oil companies was a blow to the Central Government policy to privatise all institutions of strategic importance.

The Government has not learned a lesson from the verdict.

All people's representatives, including MPs, should protest against the privatisation policy, which would affect national security, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Entertainment | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Govt. agencies sitting on cola findings
• Airport staff begin relay fast
• CPI workers lay siege to collectorates
• 'Palmolein case will be pursued'
• Lok Ayukta orders KU to expedite revaluation
• AIR station making waves

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu