Minister Naidu refutes claims about process of airport leasing to Adani

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said six airports were leased out to the Adani group through a thorough, competitive and transparent process.

The Minister was in effect refuting criticisms that the Centre's steps to lease airport to private airports were another form of patronising Adani, considered close to the current BJP-led regime.

State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) has leased out six airports -- Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram -- to the Adani group.

While mentioning about the leasing out of these airports, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy said in the Lok Sabha that Niti Aayog and the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) were of the view that two airports should not be given to the same entity.

Naidu, however, said there was no fact in the member's statement.

These are wild allegations and an empowered group of secretaries, headed by Niti Aayog CEO, where DEA secretary was also a member, was constituted, he said.

A thorough process was followed for the leasing out of the airports, he said, adding when they (Niti Aayog CEO, DEA secretary) were members of the group, where does the point arise that they had opposed the same.

"A thorough, competitive, transparent process was done for leasing out of these airports. Whatever the member is saying is a wild allegation...there is no fact in all of that," he said.

(PTI input)