Minister for energy resources and law CTR Nirmal Kumar on Saturday said airports should remain under government control, while several opposition leaders opposed the reported move to privatise Chennai airport.
Only then will the public have 100% rights over these places. Asked about the state government’s reported request to the Centre, he said there had been no official statement from the government on the matter. AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran , in a post on X, said the reported move to hand over Chennai airport to a private entity was unacceptable. He urged the chief minister to withdraw the reported request if it was indeed made. He urged the state government to abandon the reported move. CPM leader P Shanmugam also criticised the reported letter from the chief minister to the Union government.
Speaking to reporters in Ramanathapuram district, CTR Nirmal Kumar said privatisation could make airport services more expensive for the public. Airports should not be privatised and this has been the stand of our government,” he said. Minister for social justice Vanni Arasu, speaking in Villupuram district, said one portion of Chennai airport was already privatised and that VCK was against airport privatisation. He said deficiencies in the airport’s operations, infrastructure and passenger amenities should instead be brought to the Centre’s attention for corrective action. He also said handing over public sector organisations providing services to private entities could make profit the primary objective and place an additional burden on passengers and airport employees. He also said Tamil Nadu needed a modern airport with better passenger and cargo facilities and greater capacity, but argued that privatisation was not necessary for modernisation. If such a suggestion was indeed proposed by the CM, it warrants strong condemnation,” he said.
“Bus stands, railway stations and airports which are used by the public should be under the government. “The Union government is already taking suo motu decisions to hand over airports, ports, and railway stations to corporate tycoons. Madurai: Minister for energy resources and law CTR Nirmal Kumar on Saturday said airports should remain under government control, while several opposition leaders opposed the reported move to privatise Chennai airport. Today, we received reports that the TN chief minister wrote a letter proposing to hand over Chennai Airport to Adani.