CPI(M) opposes move to shut Visakhapatnam airport
Addressing a protest organised by the party in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, CPI(M) Visakhapatnam district secretary M. Jaggunaidu alleged that efforts were being made to close
Addressing a protest organised by the party in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, CPI(M) Visakhapatnam district secretary M. Jaggunaidu alleged that efforts were being made to close the city airport and termed the move detrimental to the interests of the region. He said the airport, which has been serving passengers for over six decades, handles around 30 lakh passengers annually and supports tourism, transport services and thousands of livelihoods in the region.
Jaggunaidu contended that shutting down the airport would inconvenience passengers and adversely affect families dependent on airport-related activities. He further urged the governments to retain Visakhapatnam airport as a domestic airport while developing Bhogapuram as an international airport. Speaking on
the occasion, CPI(M) district secretariat member B. Gangarao alleged that the State government had entered into an agreement favouring the private operator of the Bhogapuram airport project, claiming that passengers would face higher travel expenses and user charges if services
were shifted entirely to Bhogapuram. The party leaders also questioned elected representatives from the region for not taking a stand on the issue and called upon the public to participate in protests against any proposal to discontinue services at the existing airport.
The BriefWire