Pilots' strike: Air India stops international bookings till May 15

May 11, 2012

May_15_stop

New Delhi, May 11: Crisis-ridden Air India has stopped booking for all flights to North America and Europe till next Tuesday (May 15) as the striking pilots of the erstwhile AI did not resume work despite a clear Delhi high court order. While the airline had asked the 293 pilots who had reported sick till Wednesday night to report to work by 10 am on Thursday, 12 more members of the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) joined the sick bay during the day taking the figure up to 305.

AI has now cancelled the Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight till the strike gets over. About 20 flights were cancelled on Thursday from Delhi and Mumbai to New York, Chicago, Frankfurt, Riyadh, Shanghai and Seoul, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for the third straight day.

While IPG, that's headed by Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Ahwad, made it clear they would not join work till their demands are met, the management further hardened its stand on Thursday - third day of the ongoing strike. It sacked 10 more pilots, after terminating services of 36 others earlier. But the strictest action it is planning to take is recommend cancellation of flying licence of 10 IPG office bearers under section 39 of the Indian Aircraft Act "in public interest".

"We have filed criminal contempt in Supreme Court against the striking pilots on the grounds that they are trying to prevent us from implementing an apex court order which said pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines should also be trained for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. We will file civil contempt in the high court as pilots have not joined work despite a clear HC order," said an official.

Aviation minister Ajit Singh, who will be briefing PM Manmohan Singh on the AI crisis on Friday, maintained that pilots must first resume work. "We may face short term problems for some time (referring to a possible shutdown of international flights if pilots keep away from work). But we will do whatever is needed to have an international presence for AI in the long term. If pilots are not listening to court, will they listen to anyone else?" Singh said indicating the government's firm backing to the stern steps that he has authorized the airline to take.

There is increasing disquiet in the airline over an NCP MLA, who is not even an AI pilot, spearheading the attack from IPG side and leading to a crisis where the Rs 30,000-crore bailout package could come under a cloud.

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News Network
July 21,2020

New Delhi, Jul 21: The Centre has written to all states and union territories warning against the use of N-95 masks with valved respirator by people, saying these don't prevent the virus from spreading out and are "detrimental" to the measures adopted for its containment.

The Director-General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, in a letter to the Principal Secretaries of health and medical education of states, said it has been observed that there is "inappropriate use" of N-95 masks, particularly those with valved respirator, by the public other than designated health workers.

The DGHS referred to the advisory on the use of homemade protective cover for face and mouth available on the website of the Ministry of Health.

"It is to bring to your knowledge that the use of valved respirator N-95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask. In view of the above, I request you to instruct all concerned to follow the use of face/mouth cover and prevent inappropriate use of N-95 masks," DGHS Rajiv Garg said in the letter.

The government had in April issued an advisory on the use of homemade protective cover for face and mouth, asking people to wear it, particularly when they step out of their residences.

The advisory stressed such face covers must be washed and cleaned each day, as instructed and states that any used cotton cloth can be used to make this face cover. 

The colour of the fabric does not matter but one must ensure that the fabric is washed well in boiling water for five minutes and dried well before making the face cover. Adding salt to this water is recommended, it said.

It also listed the procedures of making such homemade masks, asking to ensure it fits the face well and there are no gaps on the sides.

It urges people to wash hands thoroughly before wearing the face cover,  switching to another fresh one as the face cover becomes damp or humid, and never reusing it after single use without cleaning it. 

"Never share the face cover with anyone. Every member in a family should have separate face cover," the advisory stated.

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News Network
February 6,2020

New Delhi, Feb 6: DMK Lok Sabha member M K Kanimozhi on Wednesday challenged popular actor Rajinikanth to raise his voice for Muslims, saying they have "already been affected" by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and are protesting on streets against the law.

Reacting to his statements earlier in the day in Chennai that "CAA is no threat to Muslims" and "if they face trouble I will be the first person to raise voice for them," Kanimozhi, daughter of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, told news agency that "Muslims in India have already been affected due to CAA".

"Let him (Rajinikanth) come forward and raise his voice for the affected Muslims", she said.

She said the members of the community have been protesting as the law leaves out Muslims.,

Asked whether Rajinikanth, through this pro-CAA statement, was moving closer to the BJP, the MP from Tuticorin said, "What he has said is no different from the BJP's narrative which we have been listening in parliament for the last few days".

Under CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship.

Rajinikanth had asserted that the legislation did not pose any threat to Muslims. He wondered as to how Muslims, who chose to stay back in India following Partition will be sent out of the country. Besides, the central government had assured that Indian people will have no issues in view of CAA, he noted.

He charged that some political parties were instigating people against the CAA for their selfish interests.

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News Network
February 27,2020

New Delhi, Feb 27: An Indian Air Force aircraft on Thursday evacuated 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan.

The C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft was sent to Wuhan on Wednesday and it carried 15 tonnes of medical supplies for coronavirus-affected people in China.

On its return, the aircraft brought back 112 people, including 23 citizens from Bangladesh, six from China, two each from Myanmar and the Maldives and one each from South Africa, the US and Madagascar.

Earlier, India had evacuated around 650 Indians from Wuhan in two Air India flights.

“In all 723 Indian nationals and 43 foreign nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan, China, in these three flights,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

On the medical supplies delivered by India to China, the MEA said they would help augment the country’s efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak which had been declared as a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation.

“The assistance is also a mark of friendship and solidarity from the people of India towards the people of China as the two countries also celebrate 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year,” it said.

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