Who should be held accountable for Air India loss: PAC

Some members of a parliamentary panel today questioned the disinvestment of Air India and sought to know who should be held accountable for the huge losses incurred by the state-run carrier, sources said.

At the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), they also raised questions about the government's decision to sell its stake in the airline despite its decision to merge both Air India and the erstwhile Indian Airlines into a single entity.

During the meeting, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey asked Air India and Civil Aviation Ministry officials as to "who should be held accountable for the huge losses of the carrier", the sources said.

Those who were opposing the disinvestment wanted to know the reason for such a decision at a time when the airline was showing "positive outcome", they added.

The committee was chaired by senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge and comprised members from both the ruling as well as the opposition parties.

The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey, Air India CMD Pradeep Singh Kharola and representatives of Air India Joint Forum Against Privatisation, a body represented by various Air India unions.

A representation was also submitted to the PAC by the forum, vehemently opposing the disinvestment of the airline.

Earlier in the day, senior BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had asked the government, to defer stake sale in Air India to next year and also sought dropping of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha from the government.

"I welcome RSS sarsangh chalak Mohan Bhagwat's timely warning on Air India family silver sale. My advice to Namo: Put off the proposal to post 2019 poll. Also drop Jayant Sinha," Swamy said in a tweet.

Yesterday, speaking an an event in Mumbai,the RSS chief had said that the control and management of the national carrier should remain with an Indian player, cautioning the government against "losing control and ownership of its skies".

The government had on March 28 kicked off the stake sale process of Air India and has issued a detailed preliminary information memorandum wherein it has proposed to sell 76 per cent stake and cede management control to private players.