CPI member Basudeb Acharia also protested invoking of "draconian" Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport against "non-cooperation" agitation by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees over the move to close down existing airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Alleging that ESMA was invoked to "thwart peaceful movement" of AAI staff, he said in the Zero Hour that the measure was not justified as the airport staff was not on strike but "non-cooperation" agitation.
Acharia said the new airport constructed in Hyderabad was 25 kms away from the city and if the existing airport was closed down, people will face difficulties.
He added that the total capacity of the new airport at Hyderabad was 6.6 million passengers while the traffic was to the tune of seven million passengers. Same is the situation with regard to Bangalore, the CPI member said.
"The existing airports (in Hyderabad and Bangalore) should not be closed down to protect the interest of private sector," he said.
He said the new airport at Hyderabad was constructed as per estimate of 6 per cent growth of civil aviation industry in 1999-2000 but the growth of the sector at present was 20 per cent. So, there is "scope for re-negotiation", he said.