In a setback for the Kerala Government, the High Court on Monday dismissed petitions filed against the privatisation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
The state government had filed an application in the court against the Central Government’s decision to lease out the operation, management and development of Thiruvananthapuram airport to Adani Enterprises for a period of 50 years.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport was among the six such facilities for which the Adani Group had won the lease.
The bench of justices K Vinod Chandran and T R Ravi dismissed multiple petitions filled by the Kerala Government and the Kerala State Industrial Development (KSDIC) against the privatisation move.
The court ruled that the deal was fair and Kerala government was given concessions and it also took part in the tender process, but Adani had won at the end.
The Kerala government too placed a bid, but the Adani firm won it by quoting a bigger amount. While the Kerala government bid for Rs 135 per passenger, the Adani firm quoted Rs 168.
The other airports that the Adani firm got are situated in Mangaluru, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Jaipur.
