Action sought against Patel for AI mess

Nagpur: The Centre for Protection of Rights (CPR) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sack former civil aviation minister Praful Patel, who now holds heavy industries portfolio, from the Union cabinet. A similar demand has been raised by Peasants and Workers' Party after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report squarely blamed the minister for pushing national carrier to bankruptcy during his seven year tenure in the ministry.
In a letter faxed to the prime minister on Friday, Gopal Kondawar, founder president of CPR, has urged to consider his complaint dated April 24 asking the PMO to order a CBI inquiry against Patel. "Our stand has only been vindicated by the CAG report tabled in Parliament on the concluding day of the monsoon session on Thursday. We strongly believe there was total mismanagement of the aviation ministry during Patel's tenure. Today Air India is finding it difficult to even pay salaries to staff. The CAG report has only confirmed it," said Kondawar.
"The CAG has raised serious doubts over Patels' decision of merging Indian Airlines and Air India. Members of parliament have also demanded a white paper and a JPC probe into the affairs of Air India whose accumulated losses had mounted to over Rs 10,000 crore in 2008-09," said Kondawar in his letter.
12/09/11 Times of India

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Categories: Air India Sep 2011