New Delhi: Supreme Court Tuesday took strong note of lack of air connectivity to places in the North East and Shimla and rapped the government and Air India for “promoting interests” of private operators.
“Is it not part of your policy guidelines to provide services to far-flung places like North East and Shimla,” a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice R Banumathi asked.
“You (government/Air India) are only promoting interests of operators and you don’t think about connectivity,” it said, adding that the private operators have been granted licenses as “largesse” and they were interested in “lucrative” routes like Mumbai-Delhi.
“This (granting licenses) is like largesse, as you grant them without asking them (private operators) to run services on not so lucrative routes,” it said. The bench, which had earlier sought a status report from Air India on feasibility of air service connecting Shimla with Chandigarh and Delhi, was unimpressed and said, “we do not want this dilly-dallying. We thought you will do something, but things remained as they were.”
Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia, appearing for the state-run carrier, sought time and said Air India would come out with a response. The court then posted the matter for further hearing on April 21.
To Read the News in Full 12/04/16 PTI/Indian Express
“Is it not part of your policy guidelines to provide services to far-flung places like North East and Shimla,” a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice R Banumathi asked.
“You (government/Air India) are only promoting interests of operators and you don’t think about connectivity,” it said, adding that the private operators have been granted licenses as “largesse” and they were interested in “lucrative” routes like Mumbai-Delhi.
“This (granting licenses) is like largesse, as you grant them without asking them (private operators) to run services on not so lucrative routes,” it said. The bench, which had earlier sought a status report from Air India on feasibility of air service connecting Shimla with Chandigarh and Delhi, was unimpressed and said, “we do not want this dilly-dallying. We thought you will do something, but things remained as they were.”
Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia, appearing for the state-run carrier, sought time and said Air India would come out with a response. The court then posted the matter for further hearing on April 21.
To Read the News in Full 12/04/16 PTI/Indian Express
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