Hardeep Puri defends PPP model for airports, cites successful example of Kochi & Kannur

A day after the all-party meeting in Kerala opposed the privatisation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday defended the Public-Private Partnership model. On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to hand over the operation, management, and development of the airports at Kerala’s capital, Jaipur and Guwahati to M/s Adani Enterprises Ltd via the PPP model. Puri reminded that both UDF and LDF had not opposed the airports in Kochi and Kannur being operated in the same manner. 

The Civil Aviation Minister questioned the rationale of the Kerala government's participation in the bidding process if it did not believe in privatisation. Asserting that the state government was given a fair chance, he clarified that neither the Supreme Court nor the Kerala government had granted a stay. Assuring that the Union Cabinet's decision was subject to the outcome of the Kerala government's writ petition in the HC, Puri revealed that functions such as Customs, Security, Immigration, Health Services would continue to be provided by government agencies. 

Read: Kerala: RTI Records Show KSIDC Spent 2.3 Crores In Airport Bidding

Kerala CM urges PM to reconsider the move

On Wednesday, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan revealed that the overwhelming view in Thursday's all-party meeting was that the management and operation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport should vest with the state government. Barring for BJP, all political parties agreed that the Centre should not have ignored the rightful claim of the Kerala government. Vijayan reiterated that his government had expressed willingness to match the offer of the highest bidder. 

The leaders contended that the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport should have been retained in the public sector. Moreover, they supported the view that the state government has sufficient experience in managing and operating two international airports at Kochi and Kannur. Thereafter, Vijayan requested PM Modi to reconsider the decision to lease out the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to a private player. 

Earlier in the day, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala announced that it would send two lakh emails to the PM opposing the move to lease out the Thiruvananthapuram airport to the Adani group. Elaborating on the issue, Kerala CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan asserted that his party would not allow the privatisation of the airport. Alleging that the aim is to hand over airports to corporates, he stressed the need to put pressure on the Centre to change the decision. According to him, such a move during the COVID-19 crisis smacked of "huge corruption". 

Read: Kerala Oppn To Move No-confidence Motion Against Vijayan Govt On Aug 24: Congress