Thane: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has issued a threat to "demolish the airport runway" at the new Navi Mumbai International Airport if local, Marathi-speaking candidates are not prioritised for the project's estimated 1 lakh jobs.
Leaders of Raj Thackeray-headed MNS cited a Right to Information (RTI) application, which they claimed showed a deliberate lack of policy by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to ensure job reservation for "sons of the soil." Addressing a news conference on Monday, MNS spokesperson Gajanan Kale said the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) project is expected to generate approximately 1 lakh jobs across its four terminals.
He claimed the ongoing recruitment for the first terminal is already sidelining locals, contradicting the spirit of providing job opportunities to the sons of the soil.
"The government will give one lakh jobs at Navi Mumbai Airport to migrants. CIDCO and Navi Mumbai Airport administration's policy of allocating 80% jobs to local Marathi-speaking people is rejected as per the information received in the Right to Information.
"If Marathi youth are not given priority in jobs, MNS will take out a grand march, and will ensure that no aircraft is allowed to take off from this airport as per the order given by Rajsaheb," he added.
He claimed a company established in Ayodhya had previously cheated many Marathi youths by promising them jobs at the airport, including one youth whose tea-seller father paid Rs 88,000.
CIDCO had neglected and ultimately closed skill development training programs intended to equip the Agri Koli community- the original inhabitants of the acquired land- for airport-related jobs, he alleged.
"The MNS would lead a grand march of all opposition parties under the leadership of MNS leader Amit Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray if the demand for local job priority is not met. It is not a difficult task for MNS workers to demolish the airport runway," Kale added.
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