Under attack from the Opposition, including the Left, for his remarks that the government was ready to privatise Air India, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh appeared to backtrack slightly on Sunday, saying it had “no intention” of doing so.
Under attack from the Opposition, including the Left, for his remarks that the government was ready to privatise Air India, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh appeared to backtrack slightly on Sunday, saying it had “no intention” of doing so. “This government has no intention to privatise Air India. (But) after this package of '32,000 crores, the government will not give any more money. Air India will have to fend for itself,” Mr Singh told a TV channel. The minister, referring to the entry of some new airlines, said there was no room for complacency for Air India, which he warned “must perform, or perish”. Asking the national carrier to pull up its socks, Mr Singh said it was difficult for the government to run a service industry, and Air India’s employees and management must understand that aviation was a very competitive market. “The margins are thin and it is a capital intensive industry,” the minister said.
