GUWAHATI: Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) in Guwahati started a three-day long relay hunger strike from Monday, opposing the Centre's decision to lease out of six airports in the country under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for operation, management and development. The LGBIA is among the six airports.Under the aegis of Airports Authority Employees' Union (AAEU), the employees will carry out the relay hunger strike till December 12 as part of its 'industrial action' in protest against the Centre's privatization bid."Private airports are expansive and not efficient in any manner. They are the killers of growth in the aviation sector in the long run. The policy of the government is not clear with regard to the profit-making airport industry. If the government doesn't review its policy, we will be compelled to intensify the agitation and go on mass casual leave on December 28," said northeastern regional secretary of AAEU Pabitra Das.He added that the AAEU has been compelled to carry out hunger strike under the banner of the joint forum of union and associations of AAI in all the airports of the country.The union rued that the government of India has taken a cabinet decision to go for a PPP model at Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, even after the AAI invested a huge amount of money in several projects. "The AAI maintains international benchmark rating and received so many awards, including ISO certification. No adverse reports given by any agency or the Parliament committee with regard to airport performance have gone against the AAI. Under such circumstances, why the privatization bid in airports?" questioned Das."In 2006, Delhi and Mumbai airports were privatized. Later, Hyderabad and Bengaluru were constructed as greenfield airports and managed by private parties. Even after that none of these airports could manage to get a place in the top 50 international airport list as per survey of customer satisfaction," he added.The AAEU alleged that the PPP model for the Guwahati airport will hit job opportunities of SC, ST and OBC candidates as private parties won't adhere to reservation policies of the government.

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