Thiruvananthapuram Airport handed over to Adani by Kerala Government to the Supreme Court

(PTI) New Delhi, Ta. Tuesday, November 24, 2020

The Kerala government's decision to lease the Thiruvananthapuram airport to Adani Enterprises was challenged by the Kerala government in the Supreme Court.

The petition seeking temporary stay on the High Court judgment said that the Airport Authority of India had taken a one-sided and illegal action in an attempt to select a special private company, Adani Enterprise Ltd., which we are challenging. The Kerala government had decided to challenge the judgment in the High Court after an all-party meeting.

The central government had said that the state government was not eligible for bidding in a highly transparent process. The Kerala government's submission was that the right to operate, inform, develop and manage an airport was vested in the Airport Authority by a party with no experience in airport management, not even in the public interest and that is a violation of the Airport Authority of India Act 1994. Also violates, the petition said.

The petition said that the Kerala Chief Minister had offered to get the project at the same price offered by Adani. In the petition, the Kerala government had also written that the other party (Ministry of Civil Aviation) had assured the Kerala government that it would not privatize Thiruvananthapuram airport. A Special Purpose Vehicle will be formed in partnership with the State Government as well as financial institutions.