CPM urges govt in Lok Sabha to save Air India

New Delhi: The Air India strike issue was raised in the Lok Sabha today with Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) demanding that the government take concrete steps to revive the national carrier and stop patronising private players. “Step by step, Air India is being destroyed. I urge the government to call the pilots and deal with their demands… Air India is sought to be destroyed. Salaries have not been paid for months,” Dasgupta said in the House during Zero Hour.[caption id=“attachment_303861” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Parliament of India. Reuters”]  [/caption] He clarified that he did not want to go into the merits of the demands being made by the striking pilots but wanted the government to take effective steps to save Air India. Dasgupta charged that the government first merged Air India and Indian Airlines and is now going to split the two. “This is a wonderful change of policy by the government,” Dasgupta said sarcastically. He alleged that private players are being given patronage instead of protecting Air India. “There should be a concrete revival plan for Air India,” he said. CPM leader Basudeb Acharia asked Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, who was present in the House, to respond to these demands. PTI