On the move: Civil Aviation Ministry to strategise on improving city airport

No excuse for not maintaining elementary hygiene, says civil aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju after inspection of premises

September 30, 2014 02:05 am | Updated 02:05 am IST

The Union civil aviation ministry will soon formulate a new strategy to improve conditions at Chennai airport, said P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union minister for civil aviation, on Monday. 

Mr. Raju said many members of Rajya Sabha had complained about the condition of Chennai airport a few months ago.

Following this, a couple of officials from the ministry had taken pictures of the prevalent conditions at the airport. “If there are complaints of incomplete engineering works or design-related issues, nothing can be done overnight. But, there is no excuse for not maintaining elementary hygiene.” However, the conditions had improved since, he said.

“My staff took 75 pictures a few months ago. But, when I inspected the terminal last Saturday, there seemed to be definite improvement. But it should not slide,” he said. Talking about privatisation, Mr. Raju said the Union government ‘is neither enamoured about privatisation nor against it completely’. “We have a few airports that are privatised and working successfully,” he said. During his inspection, he also visited the new cargo complex in Meenambakkam.

Mr. Raju noted that Chennai was the leader in cargo services in the country. The cargo sector had exciting possibilities if the State government could think of backward and forward integration, he said.

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Why target buses?

What is common between college students and political party cadre? Both vent their anger on modes of public transport, especially buses.

In recent months, there have been several instances of students clashing inside buses and in the process damaging the vehicles.

Such vandalism was witnessed during the agitations that ensued on Saturday after the verdict was passed against AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa. Stones were thrown at buses and some of them were set on fire allegedly by party cadre.

Thousands of passengers, especially those travelling to Bangalore, were stranded as many State government bus drivers refused to take out vehicles out of fear. The buses started plying on Sunday morning after the situation came under control.

But why are buses targeted during an agitation? “It creates a sense of panic among the public. If one bus is damaged, others will stop plying. The roads will become deserted and the public will be put to hardship,” says a retired police officer.

Miscreants who damage public property are booked under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act. However, unless the damage is huge, the transport corporations do not lodge complaints with the police.

As transport corporation buses are not insured, the government spends money on repairing the vehicles.

“Bail should be given to the troublemakers only after the cost of the damage is recovered from them. But political parties are often spared,” says a police officer.

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