The move to hand over the Thiruvananthapuram international airport to Adani Enterprises Ltd. (AEL) of the Adani Group that won the bid to manage and operate the airport for 50 years is to be challenged in the Supreme Court.
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed a batch of writ petitions, including the one filed by the State, challenging the move by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to grant the rights of operation, management and development of the airport to the AEL.
The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), which lost the bid to Adani Group, and the Airports Authority Employees Union (AAEU) were among those who had challenged the decision to handover the airport to the AEL.
Incidentally, the High Court verdict came one day before the year-end vacation began for the Supreme Court and during the second three-month extended validity given for the bids floated by the AAI for the privatisation of the non-metro airport.
The Union Government has also not taken a decision on the handing over of the Guwahati airport to Adani Enterprises Ltd.
Staff union move
Though the State has not spelled out the future course of action to prevent the airport going to the private player, the AAEU has decided to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court at the earliest.
“We are yet to get the certified copy of the High Court verdict. But, we have decided to take it up to the Supreme Court soon,” secretary of the AAEU and convener of the Joint Forum of Unions and Associations S. Ajith Kumar told The Hindu .
The employees feared that the Centre would handover the airport to the AEL as the writ petitions in the High Court had been dismissed and the Supreme Court had gone into vacation.
‘Move SC’
KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran urged the Government to move the Supreme Court to retain the airport in the public sector.
“It is for the State to take strong and stern action in this regard. The Government had pumped in ₹1,500 crore in the past seven years for the airport that is one of the best in the country and strategically important,” he said.
The Adani Group has floated Adani Trivandrum International Airport Limited. But, it is learnt that the group, which is also involved in the development of the Vizhinjam port, does not want to rub shoulders with the State as it had already missed the four-year deadline given as per the concession agreement to complete Phase I of the seaport.
Moreover, the State will have to sign the State Support Agreement to handover the airport. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has made it clear that the State would oppose the handing over of the airport tooth and nail.
Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce under president S. Raghuchandran Nair is considering legal remedy to expedite the handing over of the airport to the firm. Votaries of privatisation who believe AEL would usher in world-class development of airport is to extend support for this.
Meanwhile, a strike by the AAEU in front of the Airport Director’s office against the handing over the AAI-managed airport crossed 385 days on Thursday.
