Airport Privatisation: Stalin Seeks Share Of Proceeds In Proportion, Demand Echoed By Chhattisgarh & Jharkhand

Airport privatisation has turned into the new sore-point conflict between the Centre and states. After privatisation of four major airports, New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru the Union government is getting ready to privatise another 25 airports operated by the Airports Authority of India including Chennai and Kozhikode, valued at around Rs 10,782 crore. Even as the short list of four Tamil Nadu airports were planned for 2022-2025, it has raised the hackles of chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states who are up in arms against the move towards privatisation. TN Chief Minister M K Stalin unequivocally said that if the Centre was bent on privatising airports, the state too must get its share of the proceeds as compensation for transferring assets to a third party. TN Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu brought out a policy note, while presenting a request to the state to acquire 65 acres of Patta land for Chennai airport. “… the value realised through privatisation or transfer of assets to a third party. Such revenue must be proportionately shared with the state government, reflecting the huge investment in land made by the state government.” Chhattisgarh minister T S Singh Deo, Jharkhand FM Rameshwar Oroan have also come out in support of Stalin’s demand and thrown a spanner in the Union Government works. Federalism is evolving quickly with such vociferous voices.