NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed appeals against a Bombay high court that had upheld the granting of concession rights of Nagpur airport to the GMR Group.
The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court last year directed the multi-modal international cargo hub and airport at Nagpur, or Mihan, to execute the concession agreement with GMR Airports for the upgradation and operation of the Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in the city.
A JV between Maharashtra Airport Development Company and Airports Authority of India, Mahan India had in 2020 cancelled the award to GMR Group as the Maharashtra government was not satisfied with the revenue share quoted by GMR in the tender. Mihan had then decided to issue a fresh tender.
With SC on Monday dismissing all appeals against the HC verdict, GMR Infra will augment the capacity and modernise of Nagpur Airport.
With this, GMR will add Nagpur to its kitty of running Delhi, Hyderabad and soon-to-open Goa and Bhogapuram (Vizag) airports in India.
The SC order says: “In the present case, global tenders were invited and competitive bidding process was followed. The procedure of issuance of LoA (letter of award) is completely a fair procedure…we are of the considered opinion that the objection regarding non-joinder raised by the appellants is bereft of any merit and the High Court has rightly rejected the same.”
“…we are of the considered opinion that the findings recorded by the High Court allowing the Writ Petition are in accordance to law. Those findings do not suffer from any illegality, warranting interference by this Court.… All these appeals are hereby dismissed,” the order adds.
