Airport privatization process: Bidders returned fearing employees protest
Mangaluru, Jan 15: Representatives of three companies who have arrived at the Mangaluru airport for spot verification on Monday as part of the Mangaluru International Airport privatization process, have returned without evaluating the airport due to protest from airport employees.
In view of the privatization of Mangaluru International Airport proposal of the central government, representatives of Indus, GMR and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Companies visited the airport.
After getting information about this, more than 60 airport employees resorted to protest due to which the teams of those companies have returned without conducting evaluating process.
As part of privatizing process of six airports in the country including Mangaluru international airport, the companies have participated in the bidding process. The bidders could evaluate the respective airports In the beginning. So, the representatives of these three companies have visited the airport on Monday at 10 am.
But the airport employees staged the protest with a slogan “go back private parties, go back”. This protest has forced the private companies to go back.
The central government has decided to privatise Guwahati, Lucknow, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Jaipur airports. But the All India Airport Employees Association has strongly opposed the central government’s decision to privatise the profit-making airports in the country which have all basic infrastructures.
Speaking to Varthabharathi, Mangaluru Airport Employees Association president Aravind said that “We do not have any objection about the private companies building new airports and providing basic infrastructure.
But these airports were built with the public money worth lakhs of crores and provided all basic infrastructure and making good profits and we are opposing the stand of the centre govt to privatise the profit-making public sector airports.
The decision is not good for both the public and employees. Mangaluru airport has got good response from the foreign travelers also. If the commercial activities are encouraged after privatization, it would affect the flight users as well as the employees. Condemning this, we have been protesting the central government’s decision”, he said.
“We have already submitted memorandums to the all concerned persons including the Chief Minister and all ministers against privatization process. When Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu visited the city, our delegation has met him and apprised him against the central government’s decision. We will continue our fight as per the direction of the national and state associations of the airport employees”, he clarified.
Secretary Shravan Kumar, Organizing secretary Sunil Kumar, Treasurer Shakeel and others participated in the protest.
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West Asia conflict: More than 700 travellers from MP stranded in UAE
Indore (PTI): More than 700 people from Madhya Pradesh, including two former MLAs, are stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to flight cancellations amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, an office-bearer of a travel agents' outfit said on Sunday.
Several people from the state had travelled to the UAE for tourism and business purposes, and the crisis in the region had left them stranded, Amol Kataria, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India's MP unit, told PTI.
Many travellers from the state had cancelled their upcoming trips to Dubai and Sharjah, he added.
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Kataria said that more than 700 people were stuck in the UAE, and among them, former MLA and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sanjay Shukla is in Dubai.
"Due to the current international situation, our return to India today could not take place as Dubai airport was temporarily closed. We are receiving full cooperation from the Dubai administration and the Government of India. We will return to Indore as soon as the situation normalises," Shukla's post on social media stated.
Talking to PTI, the former Indore legislator's son, Sagar, said that his father had gone to Dubai three days ago with former Depalpur MLA Vishal Patel and some industrialist friends, and was scheduled to return to Indore on Sunday.
He said he had spoken to his father over the phone and heard explosions during the conversation, following which his father and his friends moved to a safe location.
He expressed hope that his father and his friends would return home soon with the efforts of the Indian government.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari, in a social media post, claimed that over 100 citizens from the state were stranded at Dubai and Sharjah airports.
Women, children and families had been facing inconvenience for several hours, and anxiety had increased after flight cancellations, he said.
Patwari urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene immediately and ensure the safety of all Indians stranded in the UAE, while making arrangements for their early return home.
The United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed early on Sunday.
Hundreds of flights have been disrupted across West Asia and in other countries, including India, due to airspace restrictions following the joint attack and retaliatory action by Iran.
