Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has extended an olive branch to the
striking Air India (AI) pilots asking them to return to work and promised to
hear their grievances "unconditionally" without any "vindictive
action".
As the pilots
strike entered the eighth day during which the airline lost Rs.150 crore, the
minister assured the pilots that "all the grievances will be heard
unconditionally". "You come to talks unconditionally... please go
back to work," he said.
The appeal to the
pilots was made in the minister's reply to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the
civil aviation sector and AI after he was taken to task by opposition MPs for
making a statement outside Parliament that the country did not need a national
air carrier.
"Air India
management will in no way be vindictive towards any employee.... a lot of young
people have just joined (as pilots). But the first priority should be that
passengers are not inconvenienced," he said. This reflected a change of
heart as earlier in the day the minister had said the directorate general of
civil aviation will take action against those who have falsely reported sick
and not joined work.
Singh came under
intense fire in the Lok Sabha from agitated members cutting across party lines
for the AI mess and for making policy statements outside Parliament when the
House is in session. The House was briefly adjourned following bedlam over the
issue.
The minister had
told a TV channel that the country did not need a national air carrier hinting
at privatisation of AI. He had also said he is against the government entering
the service sector.
CPI leader Gurudas
Dasgupta took Singh to task saying, "It is a policy decision. He is not
competent to take a decision. The Cabinet has to take a decision,"
Dasgupta said.
The Lok Sabha
witnessed an uproar during zero hour over the AI strike and the alleged
comments of Singh.
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