New Delhi:
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh denied reports that the government was trying to privatise Air India and told the Lok Sabha today that the government was in the process of implementing a Rs 30,000-crore turnaround plan.
"We cannot keep pouring public money into Air India. This is their last chance. Without the cooperation of employees, ground handlers or pilots, Air India will not survive, " said the minister in a strong message to pilots, whose strike entered its eight day today.
Mr Singh also said that the Air India has lost Rs 150 crore in the ongoing strike.
Responding to the criticism leveled at the government for the integration of Air India and Indian Airlines in 2007, and the post-merger problems faced by the new entity, Mr Ajit Singh said,
"Lots of synergies were expected. The two companies that were merged have very different cultures. HR issues are still open and are contentious. We are implementing the Dharmadhikari committee report."
Mr Singh's statement came after a huge uproar in the Lok Sabha earlier with the Opposition members targeting Mr Singh for his remarks outside Parliament indicating privatisation of the national carrier.
Launching a scathing attack on Mr Singh, the Opposition threatened to bring a privilege motion against him for speaking on policy issues on civil aviation outside when the House was in session. They also wanted to know what the government was doing to resolve the eight-day impasse with 71 pilots being sacked for their stir.
The protests, led by Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, climaxed in adjournment of the House ahead of the lunch recess with the Opposition objecting to Singh's absence and asking Speaker Meira Kumar to direct the government to bring him to the House.
Ms Swaraj joined the members of her party BJP, CPI(M), CPI and JD-U in saying that Singh's remarks to the media on policy matters like privatisation amounted to breach of "propriety of the House and hence its privilege".
She said even when Mr Singh had not replied to a discussion on Air India and the ongoing strike in the House, "he is making statements on policy matters outside".
The Speaker said that a discussion was already scheduled and the Minister would respond to them at that time. "How can I direct the government? If I receive a notice (of breach of privilege), I can look into it," Meira Kumar said.
Permitting Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) to raise the issue in Zero Hour, she said she had rejected his adjournment notice.
Raising the matter, Mr Acharia said Mr Singh was making statements "clearly indicating" privatisation of Air India, a state-run undertaking. "The Minister's only motive is to discredit the national carrier and sell it because he has made it clear that the government will not take the responsibility to run Air India," he said.