Sena hits out at BJP on Air India privatisation decision

Agencies
June 30, 2017

Mumbai, Jun 30: NDA ally Shiv Sena today came down heavily on the Centre over its decision to privatise national carrier Air India, saying had such a decision been taken by the previous Congress-led UPA government, the BJP would not have spared it.airindia

It also asked the finance minister to spell out the reasons which made the 'Maharaja' (the Air India's characteristic logo) a "beggar."

The Sena's taunt comes two days after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Cabinet has given "in-principle" approval for the disinvestment of Air India.

The Civil Aviation Ministry is charting out the disinvestment of the debt-laden carrier.

"Had this decision been taken by the previous government, the BJP would have exposed the Congress in public. The BJP would have asked how can a government that cannot run an airline, run the nation," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"But the BJP today has indulged in the sale of the national carrier," it noted.

The Sena also sought to know from Jaitley the reasons for Air India's downfall and losses in the last few years, and those responsible for it.

The airline earlier had a local market share of about 35 per cent which has gone down to a mere 16 per cent. This happened as many routes were sold off to private companies by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Sena claimed.

"This is corruption. If done during the Congress regime, the Modi dispensation had a chance to undo the damage. Why did they not do it?" it asked.

"Today the airline is being sold off as it has a debt of Rs 50,000 crore. Tomorrow the government will say they are unable to provide for the security cost of Kashmir valley and will thus auction it. They cannot be trusted," the Sena claimed.

Surviving on taxpayers' money, Air India has been in the red for long and various proposals, including government think tank Niti Aayog's suggestion for complete privatisation, have been made.

The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000-crore bailout package extended by the previous UPA government in 2012.

Comments

Yaseen Baig
 - 
Friday, 30 Jun 2017

This government is selling one by one, now what is left!

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News Network
May 10,2020

Mumbai, May 10: Air India, which is operating flights to evacuate Indians stranded in foreign countries, have asked its pilots to undertake coronavirus test before they operate such flights, the sources said.

"Five Air India pilots have tested positive for coronavirus. These pilots were tested one after one. We suspect it could be a case of faulty testing kit as well," one of the sources said.

The five pilots fly Boeing 787 planes, the second source said.

Air India spokesperson did not offer any comment.

A senior airline official said the five pilots had not operated any flight in the last three weeks.

"These pilots had operated cargo flights to China prior to April 20," the official said.

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News Network
July 17,2020

New Delhi, Jul 17: With the highest single-day spike of 34,956 cases, and 687 deaths, India's COVID-19 positive cases crossed the 10 lakh mark on Friday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total positive cases stand at 10,03,832 including 3,42,473 active cases, 6,35,757 cured/discharged/migrated and 25,602 deaths, according to the Ministry.

As per the Ministry, Maharashtra -- the worst-affected state from the infection -- has a total of 2,84,281 COVID-19 cases and 11,194 fatalities.

While Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,56,369 cases and 2,236 deaths due to COVID-19.
Delhi has reported a total of 1,18,645 cases and 3,545 deaths due to COVID-19. 

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News Network
May 22,2020

New Delhi, May 22: Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday extended the moratorium on payment of loans by another three months till August to provide much-needed relief to borrowers whose income has been hit due to the coronavirus crisis.

In March, the central bank had allowed a three-month moratorium on payment of all term loans due between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020.

Accordingly, the repayment schedule and all subsequent due dates, as also the tenor for such loans, were shifted across the board by three months.

As a result of this moratorium, individuals’ EMI repayments of loans taken were not deducted from their bank accounts, providing much-needed liquidity.

The EMI payments will restart only once the moratorium time period expires on August 31.

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