Thiruvananthapuram airport leasing: Kerala HC rejects state govt plea

An Air India aircraft at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala. (PTI Photo/File)

The Kerala High Court on Monday rejected a petition of the Kerala government challenging the Centre’s decision to lease out the international airport here to Adani Group. Hours after the high court verdict, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that the state is against handing over the airport to Adani group.

“Our stand is against the lease out of the airport. The matter does not end with the high court verdict. Further action would be taken in it,” the CM said.

Dismissing the state’s petition, a Bench of Justices K Vinod Chandran and CS Dias said, “The writ petitions filed by the State and the case set up by them, according to us, is a classic example of the proverbial ‘sour grapes.’”

“Interference to a policy framed by the elected Government it is trite, is difficult, and the feeble challenge raised herein against the policy is devoid of merit.’’

The state had argued that by awarding the tender to Adani, the central government had violated the promise that the state would be allowed in the management of the airport. It said the award of the tender to Adani was vitiated by arbitrariness because the group had no prior experience in developing and managing an airport. The state alleged that the tender was tailor-made to suit Adani Group.

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