The Hindu : National : Dismantling of AAI certain: CPI (M)

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Thursday, Feb 02, 2006

National

National

Dismantling of AAI certain: CPI (M)

Special Correspondent

Urges working class to support struggle

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday extended its full support to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees who are protesting against privatisation of the Mumbai and Delhi airports. The party also expressed shock over the move to "arbitrarily" change the eligibility criteria.

"The manner in which the bidding and contracting out to private consortiums has been conducted has raised serious doubts about the legality of the process. It is shocking that the eligibility criteria has been changed arbitrarily," the party's Polit Bureau said in a statement.

The United Progressive Alliance Government had taken a conscious decision to privatise airports and dismantle the AAI, a profit making public sector enterprise, it said.

"The dismantling of the AAI is certain, as 65 per cent of its revenue is derived from these two airports."

The Polit Bureau said the privatisation drive would not be confined to the two airports. Chennai and Kolkata were next in line and it would be followed by takeover of the other major airports.

Concerted campaign

There was a concerted campaign to discredit the AAI. Without allowing them to modernise the airports, they were being accused of incompetence in building and running world-class airports.

The party called upon all sections of the working class and democratic-minded people to support the AAI employees' struggle.

The All India Forward Bloc too extended its support to the striking employees. Expressing solidarity with them, the party's general secretary Debabrata Biswas said the AIFB was against only privatisation and not modernisation.

"The Government has to explain why the alternative proposal of the AAI was rejected'' he said adding that by doing so it had succumbed to the pressure of private capitalists.

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