Kerala CM calls all-party meeting to discuss Thiruvananthapuram airport privatisation

In the wake of the Centre’s decision to lease out the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to a private player, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan called an all-party meeting on Thursday. In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared 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 for a period of 50 years. The latter emerged as the successful bidder in a Global Competitive Bidding organised by the Airports Authority of India. According to the Centre, this will not only harness investment in the public sector but also bring efficiency in service delivery and professionalism. 

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Kerala CM opposes the decision

Writing to PM Modi on Wednesday, the Kerala CM argued that the management and operation of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport should have been entrusted to the Special Purpose Vehicle in which the state government is a stakeholder. He revealed that the Civil Aviation Ministry had assured in 2003 that the contribution of the Kerala government to the airport will be factored in when the induction of a private player is considered. According to Vijayan, the PM had also reiterated this assurance during a personal meeting in the national capital.  

He recalled that the Kerala government had transferred 23.57 acres of land to the AAI for the construction of the airport terminal free of cost. This was subject to the condition that the value of the land would be reflected as the state government’s share capital in an SPV which would be set up. Vijayan added that the government’s representatives had conveyed in detail to the Centre the public funds spent on acquiring the land in question. The Kerala CM emphasised that the private bidder did have adequate experience in the operation and management of airports. Mentioning that litigation in this regard is pending before the Kerala High Court, he urged the PM to reconsider the decision.  

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Kerala's main opposition party Congress also condemned the Centre's move. Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader said that the Thiruvananthapuram airport is the state's property, which must not be privatised. Thereafter, he alleged that the Union government was taking advantage of the COVID-19 crisis to hand over all Public Sector Units to the private sector. 

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(Image credits: PTI)