By PTI
NEW DELHI: An employees’ union of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has demanded a judicial probe into the privatisation of six airports that have been allotted to the Adani Group.
The Airport Authority Employees’ Union has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the privatisation of the six airports.
In 2019, Adani Group won the bids for six airports — Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru. Out of them, the group has taken over the airports at Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Mangaluru.
The union has demanded a judicial probe into the privatisation process done for the six airports as well as keeping in abeyance the handing over of the remaining three airports to the group.
Among other issues, the union has claimed that there has been a “windfall gain” of more than Rs 800 crore with respect to the three airports that have already been taken over.
It has also claimed that there are huge deviations in amounts to be reimbursed towards existing assets of AAI at Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Mangaluru airports in terms of the figures shown in the bid documents and in the executed concession agreements.
The union has around 6,000 members.
Sources close to the group said Adani Enterprises Ltd had followed the proper process in terms of fair and transparent bids.
The group had quoted the highest passenger fee and emerged as the successful bidder through a competitive process where other organisations had also participated in bidding for the six airports, they added.