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NEW DELHI, Jan 31 (AFP): The Indian government was set to open bids for privatisation of the country's two leading airports later Tuesday as union members vowed to stage protests to block the sell-offs.
Plans to privatise the international airports-one serving the capital New Delhi and the other the western financial hub of Mumbai-have been hanging fire for years amid opposition by workers fearing job losses.
"Financial bids should be opened this (Tuesday) afternoon and the winners will be announced soon after," a civil aviation ministry spokeswoman said. She did not specify exactly when the winners would be known.
India has offered 74 per cent stakes in the airports where a lack of funds has hampered modernisation at a time when the airline market is expanding rapidly. State-owned Airports Authority of India will keep a 26 per cent stake.
Both airports are notorious for their lack of passenger amenities, congested operating conditions and scant duty-free shopping or entertainment for transit passengers.
But the sell-offs have been bitterly opposed by thousands of employees of the Airports Authority of India -- which runs the country's 130 airports-who have warned they may shut down their airports.
"If financial bids are forcibly opened without taking cognizance of our Alternate Plan then it will lead to confrontation," said Airports Authority Employees Joint Forum Convenor MK Ghoshal.
"We have so far not taken any steps to inconvenience the air traveller," the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Ghoshal as saying.
Union and leftist leaders want the Airports Authority of India to be in charge of upgrading the airports.
The Airports authority "should take a decision on whether they need foreign technology or funds and there are enough funds," said Sitaram Yechuri, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The workers have threatened to go on strike, a move that could create airline havoc, if their alternate proposal is not considered.
Besides Delhi and Mumbai, there are plans to modernise 20 to 30 smaller airports to improve aviation infrastructure.
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