After Mangaluru Airport in Karnataka , the Lucknow international airport that been named after former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh in Uttarpradesh , has been handed over to a firm owned by industrialist Gautam Adani on lease for 50 years.
It is important to note both States ruled by BJP government in the state.
Earlier major medias inclusive of Splco reported how the Modi led BJP government in centre had flouted rules and favoured Adani Enterprises which went on to win the bids to run profit-making airports.
Apart from Lucknow and Menguluru, Adani had won the bid for the privatization of four profit making airports Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati.
A new dawn for Lucknow Airport.
On 2nd Nov'20 at 00:00 midnight, #AAI's senior officials exchanged Memorandum & handed over Lucknow Airport @aailkoapt to @AdaniOnline. Sh A.K Sharma, APD, Lucknow exchanged symbolic key in accordance with concession agreement & future development. pic.twitter.com/TAyapsDEE6— Airports Authority of India (@AAI_Official) November 2, 2020
“Shri A.K Sharma, APD (Airport Director), Lucknow exchanged symbolic keys in accordance with concession agreement & future development,” tweeted happily on behalf of AAI.
It is worth recalling that the AAI had signed a concession agreement with Adani Enterprises earlier this year on February 14 for operations, management and development of the Mangaluru, Lucknow and Ahmedabad airports.
On October 22, the AAI said in a press release that Adani Enterprises would be taking over the airports at Mangaluru, Lucknow and Ahmedabad by October 31, November 2 and November 11 respectively.
In opposition ruled state Kerala opposed the move and went to court
Also Prinicple opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has come down heavily on the Modi government and said that “development is taking place, but only for a few capitalist friends”.
Congress general secretary in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi also targeted the government. “BJP’s Diwali gift to people: unprecedented inflation. BJP’s Diwali gift to their capitalist friends: 6 airports.
With the capitalists and ensuring progress of capitalists,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Earlier at the time when Indian nationals protested against controversial CAA bill with respect to citizenship that enacted demarcation based on religion., Modi government in February 2019 placidly privatised six major airports of the country Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati.
After a so-called controversial bidding process, Adani Enterprises won the rights to run all of them for 50 years although the rules say that no airport can be given on lease for more than 30 years.
