231 Discussion on the [ RA JY A SABHA] Aviation 232 workine of Min. of Civil 233 Discussion on the [ 14 MAY 1990 ] Min. of Civil Aviation 234 working of SHRI SURESH KALMADI (Maharashtra): cil which was formed by the previous The Civil Aviation Ministry nas come in for Government and which has gone into the sharp focus after the cause of all the accidents. I remember this Committee gave very good recommendations THE MINISTER OF TEXTILES on the Ahmedabad air-crash. This was an WITH ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF advisory body going into all the matters and THE MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCES just because it as appointed by the previous SING INDUSTRIES (SHRI SHARAD Government you got it scrapped. I do not YADAV): Missing file. , understand the logic behind its scrapping. All SHRI SURESH KALMADI: I wiH come to it. the Chari-men under his Ministry have resign- Don't worry. Airbus crash ond definitely against ed. Actually they should have been f.sked to this background there would be a discussion on continue. They have not done that. They the working of the Civil Aviation Ministry in the wanted a change. It is fine because none of last one year. them were political people. Once you have The most urgent task before the Civil Aviation changed the people, you should have brought Ministry is to restore confidence among the in new people. Against the background of travelling public. There has been an alarming Airbus-320, today, in the eyes of the world, decline in passenger traffic in the last one year. India has become a laughing stock. The The confidence of the travelling public can be Airbus has been grounded from, February, restored by firrci measures that should be taken 1990 and now we are in the month of May, by the Civil Aviation Ministry. That. I must say, 1990. The Court of Inquiry has to submit its is still wanting. There seems to be no will on the report by the end of May, 1990. Once it part of the Ministry to restore this confidence. submits its report, it may take two or three We have, in the past of course, been all out to months because the file has to move from the get the best aircraft, but have not paid as much Indian Airlines Board to the attention on the ground equipment, on the train- Deputy Prime Minister's office and then to the ing and maintenance. Special attention wiH have Prime Minister's office. I do not know how to be paid by the Ministry in this direction. I am many months they would take to accept or sorry to say that inspite of the criticism levelled reject the decision of the Court of Inquiry and against the previous Government and inspite of when this Airbus will fly. May I know from the plane crash this Government has not been the Minister has it ever happened mywhere in able to make up their mind to fill up important the world that any aircraft has been grounded and vital vacancies". There is no (Chairman for for such a long time? Madam, it must bee seen Indian Airlines. There is no Chairman for Air that there has been a systematic campaign to India. Though we want to improve the standards malign the previous Government starting from at the international airports, there is no Chairman the Airbus accident. If it was a decision to for the International Airports Authority of India. ground the aircraft because of technical Though this Government has completed a few reasons I -would have been the first person to hundred days in office they have not been able to appreciate it. Ol course, I ulso opposed many decide as to who should be the Chairnrnan of the times some of the aspects of the Airbus. If the Internationa! Airports Authority of India, They decision was taken by the Government on have reserved certain important decisions taken flight safety aspect again I would have been by the previous Government. They have wound the first person to appreciate this up the National Safety Transportation Coun- Government's stand. But tbe decision which they have taken ••as £ political decision. There was a 235 Oiect sstm on the [ RAJYA SABHA ] Min. of Civil Aviation 236 working of [Shri Suresh Kalmadi] the Indian Airlines Io the Civil Aviation systematic compaign, systematic effort to malign Ministry, to the Prime Minister's office ;md all decisions taken by the previous Government coming back. That is the reasons why there is and Airbus-320 is one of them. It is said with all drum-beating that the decision was taken by delay. The Prime Minister makes one statement, previous Government without going through thj Civil Aviation Minister makes another proper channel. Maybe. I do not know. But how statement and the DGCA and the Indian Airlines does this Government behave? Who ordered the give various leaks-out to the newspapers. I do not grounding of the Airbus? Who te supposed to order the grounding of Airbus? Is it not DGCA know what the purpose of keeping the aircraft who should first take a decision? Is this decision grounded for so much time is. There is more not to be put up to the Indian Airlines Board? than what meets the eye. And in these few Once the Indian Airlines Board takes a decision after deliberations it passes on to the Civil months, what have you done? You talk about Aviation Ministry for a decision and then the previous Government not bothering to get probably it goes up to the Cabinet. But here it did hangers, the various technical equipment train the not happen that way. The decision was taken by pilots etc, In the lafet five months, what have the Civil Aviation Ministry. The Indian Airlines Board was not consulted. They talk of defending you dene? Have you improved on the services? institutions, public morable and what have they Have you improved on pilot training? done? After the decision was taken they wanted Have you utilised these four or five months the Indian Airlines to ratify the decision. when the aircraft have been grounded? Have you 1.00 P.M. used this time for upgrading the various airports I am very happy that the Indian Airlines, at and various systems? My information is that least a few days back, resisted the move. Is this pending this inquiry, the entire Airbus the principle you are taking about? If you cannot operation, the maintenance, the staff the make up your mind in five months what to do j with the aircraft, what is the principle? All right. equipment, is at a grinding halt. Every thing If the aircraft is bad, sell or lease it. What is the is grounded along with the aircraft. (Inter- delay in it? If the aircraft is good, fly it. Why are ruptions), Well if my information is wrong, you not flying it? But it is a mockery, that the the Minister might enlighten me. The Prime aircraft is grounded for four months. But they have the tenacity to ask the court of inquiry, Minister office can enlighten me if it differs justice Bhatt, to give an interim report. Anyway, with the views of the Civil Aviation Ministry, the interim report is there. You don't wait for the But we would like to know what the matter is. final report. Nobody waits for that. It does not happen anywhere in the world. In India, we have And of courc, even if the decision of the previ- become a laughing stock. I hope and pray that ous Government was not a right decision. even if you take Some steps because I know there are we have to sell the aircraft today, you will get differences between the Ministry and the Prime Minister's office. I know and the country knows back the amount because ther© are waiting orders that the Prime Minister had to write to your for the next twenty i yearh. At least from Ministry that this aircraft would not fly till such that point of view, , they must be fair to the time that all the passenger Safety aspects were previous Government for having taken that studied. The Prime Minister writes to his own Ministry. It is unheard of, Tbe file is moving decision. To-! day also you can sell it out and from go in for any other aircraft that this Govern- ment wants. Don't blame them. 237 Discussion on the [ 14 MAY 1990 ] Min. of Civil Aviation 238 working <~f 1 would not like to read the press leaks. SHRl KAMAL MORARKA (Rajasthan) : It is all very mischievous to me. I do Like Pitroda. not know what all this is and what for. SHRI SURESH KALMADI; Sir, you are I would like the Minister to explain. What aware of the total mess as far as the Vayudoot is is the reason for all this? concerned. The backbone of the Vayudoot is the I come to the missing flies. So many times Dornier aircraft which has been giving trouble we have discussed it here. So many times Arifji for a long time. One can say that it was a wrong has answered our questions. A CBI inquiry decision of the previous Government. For that, was also launched. So many times they had we have to assess the role of the Dorneir all over opportunity to tell us that a file was missing. the world. All over the world the Dornier But how come? They made all aircraft with their engines are flying, but investigations going al] over the world, all the nowhere in the world offices, to find out what is wrong with Airbus has it got a bad reputation! All over the 320 They could not find a thing and so.