ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATION- 402

 

Hon. Chairman Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to participate in the discussion on this important Bill. The legislation aims to overhaul and modernise the regulatory framework governing civil aviation in India, replacing the Aircraft Act, 1934. Sir, I welcome every effort to achieve the highest levels of safety in civil aviation. But it has to be pointed out that the aviation sector of the country is facing many issues and safety challenges today. The increasing cases of near collision incidents, flight delays and cancellations, frequent schedule cuts, and airfare without any regulation are a¹⁰⁰ matter of concern.

Sir, one of the alarming absences in this Bill is the sheer lack of any consideration the¹²⁰ Government has given to the cause of climate change. The aviation industry accounts for nearly three per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions annually but the potential impact of this is much severe, considering the fact that these emissions take place much higher in the atmosphere, closer to the ozone. We, as a nation, having the first place in population, third place in military power, and fifth place in economy, must make clear commitments to climate change. It is the²⁰⁰ responsibility of this House and this Government to ensure that the national policy towards sustainability stands resolute and is second to none. The actual need of the hour like addressing the rising number of cyber threats also seems to have²⁴⁰ left the thought of this Government while drafting this Bill which, in effect, makes the ground reality of this Bill a token effort. Sir, Air Albania, being targeted by a malware serves as an instance for the Ministry of Civil Aviation to learn from. We must either learn from the examples of others or face the same fate due to³⁰⁰ sheer ignorance. It is shameful how the Government has wished to proceed with the latter than consider the former. The mad rush to construct new airports can be witnessed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Analysing Section 3, sub-section 2 and Section 5, sub-section 2 of the new Bill, both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of³⁶⁰ Civil Aviation Security have been charged with the oversight functions related to civil aviation without any clear segregation of the functions of both the institutions. It is to be noted that alongside these two institutions, the CISF and the Airport⁴⁰⁰ Authority of India also have roles to play in this ambivalent mechanism which can prove to be lethal in emergency situations as we have seen in the unfortunate incidents of the World Trade Centre attack or the Flight 814 hijack to Kandahar. In the Standing Committee Report related to civil aviation, it has been stated that the CISF, which valiantly guards our airfields, has been overburdened by the ever-expanding network of our airports and air traffic and yet⁴⁸⁰ no provisions to redeem their difficulties have been curated in this new Bill. It is high time that in avenues⁵⁰⁰ similar to the American Transport Security Agency, an Indian counterpart must be established to ensure proper security administration. If expansion and development of the Indian aviation industry is indeed the prerogative of this Government, then there must be provisions that ensure this rather than red herring measures that sum up the construction of a house of cards. The extensive loss of life during the Corona pandemic has made our national policies sensitive to the possibilities of epidemics and the provisions stated in Section 14 of the Bill can prove to be instrumental in the same instance in the future. However,⁶⁰⁰ the ignorance in engaging provisions about invasive species that may cause loss of livelihood to the menial farmers of our nation is a grave negligence by this Government which proves again that this Bill is a mere tool to keep the industrialists happy rather than to account for the growing needs of the industry, the people of the nation, and the national interest. The Government's claims about aviation sector are not true. The Adani Group owns eight airports in the country, making it the single largest private operator in the country. This monopolisation has happened in the past four years⁷⁰⁰ at the risk of concentrating important national assets in a few private hands. An estimated 25 per cent of⁷²⁰ passenger air traffic flies through the Adani airports and one-third of all air cargo is handled through these airports. From the CAG Report released in August 2023, it is found that 93 per cent of the routes under the UDAN scheme were cancelled beyond the three-year concession period. Sir, data from the Airport Authority of India has seen a decline in passenger traffic in tier-2 city airports in the first three months of⁸⁰⁰ 2024. Experts have attributed this to airlines concentrating on Metro cities and high-density routes. The scheme, which was projected to link smaller centres with air connectivity, has failed to impress so far. Sir, the Government is always⁸⁴⁰ making exaggerated claims of new airports built in the country during the last 10 years. The deadly roof collapse of Delhi Airport has raised many concerns over the quality infrastructure development in the country. Recently, we witnessed many such infrastructure failures, and it is evident that there has been corruption and criminal negligence over the last 10 years.

Sir, another⁹⁰⁰ issue is the soaring airfares without any regulation and cap on higher fare. It has become a regular practice for the airlines operating service in the Gulf-Kerala sector. Lakhs of Keralites working in various Gulf countries are put to a great hardship and agony due to the steep hike in the airfares from Kerala to Gulf countries. The airlines⁹⁶⁰ are charging fares more than five times the basic tariff for various destinations in Kerala. A majority of the Keralites working in the Middle East countries are low-wage workers who cannot afford such high airfares. This unjustifiable hike in airfare¹⁰⁰⁰ is done keeping in view the demand among the non-resident Keralites returning to home State for festivals and summer vacations. Even budget carriers are adopting such heinous methods by charging huge amounts for tickets. Even though this issue has been highlighted on many occasions, no action has been taken by the Government. This should be considered and corrective measures should be taken on priority.¹⁰⁶⁴