Saturday, February 17, 2018

Despite GoI’s Earlier Snub, CM Seeks Fair Airfares To Srinagar

Srinagar—Notwithstanding snub earlier, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said urged Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha to “look into” increase in flight fares between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.

“Spoke to @jayantsinha ji about the increase in flight fares between Delhi & J&K. Tourism is the backbone of our state’s economy & he has assured me that he will look into the matter,” Mehbooba tweeted.

The state government’s plea to keep runaway airfare hikes during peak tourist seasons in check have been rebuffed by the central government which had said that tariffs were subject to the logic of supply and demand.

“The union minister for civil aviation has conveyed that airlines are free to fix reasonable tariff under relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules,” tourism minister Tasaduq Mufti said in the assembly on February 3. He was replying to a question from legislator Nawang Rigzin Jora.

“The matter of hike in the airfare during the peak tourist season in the state including Leh has been a matter of concern for the state as there is a hike in the airfares and it becomes unaffordable for the intending tourists to visit the state including Ladakh,” the minister had said.

“The state government has been pursuing the matter for getting the airfares of carriers operating in Jammu and Srinagar sectors regulated to bring price-stability and controlling the cost of air travel within reasonable limits,” the minister had said.

“The chief minister had taken up the issue with the union minister of civil aviation, Government of India through a communication dated 28/01/2017,” he had said.

“In response to the communication,” he said, the “Union Minister of Civil Aviation has conveyed that airlines are free to fix reasonable tariff under provision of Sub-rule (1) of Rule 135 of Aircraft Rules, 1953 having regard to all relevant factors, including the cost of operation, characteristics of service, reasonable profit and the generally prevailing tariffs.”

“Airline pricing system runs in multiple levels (buckets or RBDs) which are in line with practice being followed globally”.
17/02/18 Kashmir Monitor
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