Press Trust Of India / New Delhi Aug 03, 2009, 00:21 IST
In a move that could give some comfort to the cash-strapped national carrier, the government has directed its employees to use only Air India (A-I) during their official domestic and foreign tours.
The government also made it clear that this would be applicable to the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) of officials, including those belonging to the public sector undertakings.
"It has been decided by the Department of Expenditure that in all cases of air travel both domestic and international where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, the officials concerned may travel only by Air India," an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel said.
The ministry said it had consulted with the Department of Expenditure on the purview of the order with regard to LTC.
"....Department of Expenditure has confirmed that the order will apply in cases of LTC also," it said. For travel to places not connected by the national carrier, the order said, the officials could travel by Air India to the point closest to that destination.
Instead of preaching to its employees to travel by AI only the Government must sell its stake in the airline to the public & get out of running an airline. The Government has no business to run an airline using tax payer money and then try all means to keep the airline afloat & at the same time paying AI employees exhorbitant salaries. Privatise AI; thats the only way.
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