The Air India strike issue was raised in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) demanding that the government take concrete steps to revive the national carrier and stop patronising private players.
“Step by step, Air India is being destroyed. I urge the government to call the pilots and deal with their demands...
Air India is sought to be destroyed. Salaries have not been paid for months,” Mr. Dasgupta said in the House during Zero Hour.
He clarified that he did not want to go into the merits of the demands being made by the striking pilots but wanted the government to take effective steps to save Air India.
Mr. Dasgupta charged that the government first merged Air India and Indian Airlines and is now going to split the two.
“This is a wonderful change of policy by the government,” Mr. Dasgupta said sarcastically.
He alleged that private players are being given patronage instead of protecting Air India. “There should be a concrete revival plan for Air India,” he said.
CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia asked Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, who was present in the House, to respond to these demands.
Deputy Leader of the BJP in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde demanded that the Centre take steps to deal with the drought in Maharashtra, alleging that it has forced more than 100 farmers to commit suicide in the last three months.
“The drought situation in Maharashtra today is worse than the drought of 1972. In the last three months, more than 100 farmers have committed suicide. There is no water for 100s of kilometres. The Centre should intervene and provide relief,” he said.
