Centre's decision to privatise airports usurps rights, autonomy from state: MK Stalin
Aug 21, 2020
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 21 : DMK president MK Stalin on Friday said the Central government's decision to privatise airports "usurps the rights and autonomy" from the state.
He said the decision violates the pledge made in 2003 regarding the privatisation proposal of the airports, which he says requires consultation with the state government.
"The Centre's unilateral decision to privatise airports usurps the rights and autonomy from the State. It violates the pledge made in 2003 that any proposal concerning airport privatisation would be made only in consultation with the state government and must be revoked," Stalin tweeted.
The Central government's decision to privatise airports has drawn a mixed reaction across the political spectrum.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to reconsider the decision to "hand over the management and operation of the Trivandrum International Airport to a private bidder".
Even as the Congress leadership in the state and Left parties have opposed Centre's decision to award operations of Thiruvananthapuram airport to a private player, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has backed the move.
On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet had approved the proposal for leasing out Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI) through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
An official release said that the cabinet accorded its approval for leasing the three airports for operation, management and development to Adani Enterprises Ltd, who was declared as the successful bidder in global competitive bidding conducted by the Airports Authority of India. The lease is for a period of fifty years.
