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NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: “Fly first, talks later” was government’s firm message to striking Air India pilots refusing to resume work for the seventh day on Monday, as the airline stopped West-bound bookings for another two days and contemplated suspending global operations.

As losses in the wake of the agitation by over 200 pilots of the Indian Pilots Guild crossed over Rs.150 crore, 14 international flights were cancelled, bringing no end to the woes of the passengers.

The airline, which had stopped taking bookings for flights to North America and Europe till Tuesday, extended the period till May 17, airline officials said.

One of the options being mulled is shutting international operations temporarily till a resolution to the stir is reached, they said.

Taking a serious view of the ongoing pilots’ stir, the AI board endorsed the stand taken by the management in terminating the services of 71 striking pilots and fully supported the view that indiscipline should not be tolerated in any form.

The board reviewed the implementation of the turnaround plan but members are understood to have pointed out that the strike and the resultant losses have led to problems in release of funds by the bankers of Air India.

The board, which met in Delhi, approved a plan to raise Rs 5,000 crore over 10 years by monetising its assets to repay loans extended to it by the government and it lenders.

“As per the plan approved by the government, Air India plans to monetise Rs 5,000 crore over 10 years to support its Financial Restructuring Plan at an average of Rs 500 crore per year,” a statement from Air India said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Pilots Association, comprising the cockpit crew who are in the management cadre, suggested that the airline should make a suo motu statement before the Supreme Court that the service conditions of the employees of the erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India would not be altered.

In a statement, the EPA, which has come out in support of the pilots, also appealed to the management to take back all the sacked pilots and restore the recognition of the IPG.

Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh made it clear that pilots have to first withdraw their strike for negotiations to be held.

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NEW DELHI: The World Bank’s allegations of fraud and corrupt practices in highway projects funded by the multilateral agency could just be the tip of the iceberg. The Bank’s report has an annexure of “collateral” evidence showing how contractors produced fake invoices and certificates to get advance from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The investigation team of World Bank’s Institutional Integrity Unit tracked down three companies supplying aggregates (construction material) in Nepal to establish this. “The bank has provided details of how the aggregate suppliers proved that they had not even supplied 50% of the material claimed by the private contractors. Prima facie, there is enough collateral evidence to suggest that corrupt practices were adopted by the contractors and NHAI officials failed to detect it,” a government official said.

Sources said the Nepalese companies had pointed out how the bills didn’t have appropriate company stamps and in some cases these did not have the mandatory serial numbers.

The Bank, in its report and annexure, also mentioned that the data and entries downloaded from the contractors’ computers showed that cash went to local officials in the district administration and consultants. “There are names of local officials in the districts, junior level officials and employees of the independent consultants. Payments were made to same people very frequently,” said an official.

The report claimed that PCL, the contractor, and a joint venture of PCL-MVR, which were engaged in four stretches on the Lucknow-Muzaffarpur national highway funded by the Bank, had submitted “false details” and “fake invoices” showing utilization of funds that they had initially received as advance. These advances were to the tune of Rs 17.5 crore. The Bank has found the money trail, an official said.

The contractors allegedly submitted fake documents to get the second installment of advance known as “second stage mobilization advance”. PCL allegedly diverted a portion of this to real estate projects in India and abroad.

“Since the advance cash was diverted to other projects, the actual road work was hampered. A proper investigation by an independent agency will expose how this may be the practice in several other NH projects built on cash contract,” a World Bank official in India, who did not wish to be named, named.

All efforts to contact PCL proved futile. Responding to a call, the company’s front office executive in Hyderabad said, “The relevant person is not there in the office. We don’t have his mobile number.”

Highways minister C P Joshi said, “We have constituted an investigating team. I have not yet got their report. I can say something only after receiving the report.” He has already said that the ministry was not against an investigation by the CBI into allegations of fraud by PCL if World Bank established wrongdoing.

Highways secretary A K Upadhyaya, who also holds charge of NHAI chairman, said the matter was under examination.

However, a team of NHAI engineers who submitted a report on the allegations claimed that due procedures were followed while sanctioning and releasing second stage mobilization amount (5% of the project cost). The utilization of initial advance amount was forwarded by the supervision consultant and the records were certified by the chartered accountants concerned, they said.

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NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament may get the legal right to use red beacons atop their cars across states, with the Union roads ministry dropping its reservation on the issue.

Government sources said the ministry of road transport and highways had told Parliament that it had no objection to vehicles used by MPs having beacon. The ministry has made its nod contingent on the home ministry giving security clearance to the step.

The conditional clearance seems to signal the government’s green light to red beacons, a contentious issue that had put MPs and the Centre at loggerheads. The Lok Sabha committee on privileges had, in its report tabled in November 2011, asked the roads ministry to issue a notification to enable MPs to use beacons across the country.

The ministry’s okay is a change from how it stonewalled the beacon demand over the last few years. In response to an earlier parliamentary recommendation, it said giving this facility to MPs would raise the demand in states as well while another argument was that it would lead to a proliferation in vehicles using red beacons.

In the change apparently dictated by the unprecedented pressure mounted by parliamentarians, road transport and highways minister C P Joshi is learnt to have given in. Sources said he personally approved the “no objection” stance but only added that it needed security clearance from the home ministry.

The MHA clearance is relevant in high security states like Delhi where misuse can lead to serious trouble in terror-ridden times. The authorities have been trying to reduce the number of cars with beacons, with civil administration even cracking down from time to time on politicians and cops alike.

For MPs, though, it has long been a sore point, eager to stand higher in the protocol list. The status symbol attached with beacon-studded cars is strong.

The fresh offensive from MPs came in the form of the argument that many states like Uttar Pradesh had allowed the facility. They demanded uniformity on the beacon issue, saying it was humiliating that they had to cover the beacons while entering neighbouring states like UP.

The committee report said, “Since the Motor Vehicles Act is a central Act, a notification from central government would have all-India applicability and make the facility of use of red light beacon atop the vehicles of members available uniformly across the country.” It would also save the MPs the embarrassment of covering the beacons.

While the move has been hanging fire for long, the privileges panel made a strong case for the MPs by recommending their elevation in the list of Warrant of Precedence from 21 to 17, moving them above deputy speakers of states outside their states and various commission heads.

Times View

The use of red beacons should not be treated as a matter of status. All over the world beacons on vehicles are used for emergency purposes – like ambulances, fire engines or police vehicles in specific situations – or where security makes it necessary. There is no reason why we should treat the matter any differently. Those who believe that a flashing beacon becomes a symbol of authority and respect are sadly mistaken. Authority may be feared but never respected for its own sake. Respect is commanded by the manner in which a person or institution exercises authority. Beacons flashing on top of vehicles would be a poor substitute for such genuine moral authority.

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