Kerala will approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent handing over the Thiruvananthapuram international airport to Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) that emerged as the highest bidder for managing, operating, and developing the infrastructure of the Airports Authority of India-managed airport for the next 50 years.
Reiterating the stance of the government against handing over the airport to the private operator in the Assembly on Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he will meet the Prime Minister on June 15 in New Delhi and demand suspension of the handing over the premier airport of the State to the AEL. Mr. Vijayan is proceeding to Delhi for meeting of the NITI Aayog.
The private group cannot operate and develop the airport without the support of the State government.
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The government stance is that the airport cannot be handed over to the AEL, the Chief Minister said while replying to the Calling Attention by CPI legislator C. Divakaran seeking government’s interventon on the privatiasation of PSUs, including the airport.
Mr. Vijayan said that the Centre should either continue with the existing arrangement under the Airport Authority of India (AAI) or entrust the airport to the State government.
The government has taken all possible steps to prevent handing over the airport set up in 1932 and a case filed by the State and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) is pending in the High Court.
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The government had formed Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Limited (TIAL) under the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) for operating the airport. The State’s request to hand over the airport to the SPV or for participating in the bidding process with Right of First Refusal (RoFR) was not approved by the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The RoFR was finally limited to 10%, the House was informed.
Mr. Vijayan said 208.06 acres of land was handed over to the airport by the erstwhile Travancore royal family. In addition to the 8.29 acres handed over by the State, another 32.56 was acquired and handed over. The process to acquire another 18 acres is in the final stage for the further expansion of the Terminal II.
“Thus the government has claim over the airport housed in the government land and it will continue with the State Government,” he added. The Chief Minister said the AEL had no previous experience in airport operations.