The joint protests by the ruling CPM-led Left front and Congress-led Opposition in Kerala against the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport privatisation has suffered a setback as it came to light that a firm having links with the Adani group was earlier engaged by the Kerala government to prepare the bid for the airport privatisation.
Incidentally, the state government lost to Adani group in the bidding.
The Opposition is reviewing the moves to jointly pass a resolution in the state Assembly on Monday. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged a criminal conspiracy by the government in engaging the firm linked with Adani.
Law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas was engaged last year for legal services to prepare Kerala government's bid for airport management and development and the firm was also paid Rs. 55.4 lakh.
The firm's co-owner Cyril Shroff is Gautam Adani's son Karan Adani's father-in-law and Karan's wife Paridhi is also a partner of the firm. Kerala government lost the bid for the airport as it only quoted a fee of Rs. 135 per passenger, while the Adani group quoted Rs. 162 per passenger.
The Opposition Congress, as well as the BJP, alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala was having nexus with the Adani group and the present protest against handing over the airport to Adani is a farce.
The state government had spent a total of Rs. 2.36 crore for the airport bidding, which included a consultancy fee of Rs. 1.57 crore to KPMG, apart from the Rs. 55.4 lakh to Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
Meanwhile, various bodies of trade, tourism and commerce in Kerala have strongly backed handing over of the airport management to a private party.