Ludhiana likely to be connected by air very soon

CHANDIGARH, December 15:

Ludhiana is likely to be connected by air very soon. This was disclosed by the local MP and the national spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee Manish Tewari after leading a delegation of eminent Ludhianavis to the Air India Chairman- Managing Director Arvind Jadhav in New Delhi yesterday. This meeting was also attended by Director Air India Mrs. Abha Shukla.

Tewari said, although the state government had not shown much interest in augmenting the facilities at the Ludhiana airport like expanding the runway for the safe landing and takeoff of the bigger planes, still the Air India had assured that it would explore all the possibilities to operate smaller aircrafts for the time being so that the city is connected by air at the earliest.

The MP said that the Air India, Chairman maintained that the financial viability of plying the flights in and out of Ludhiana was also very important. Mr Jadhav told Tewari that the state government had not taken the necessary measures which would facilitate smooth operation of flights.

Tewari pointed out, for a long time the state government is sitting over the proposal to expand the runway. He revealed that when he had raised the issue with the Jet Airways earlier, they had also expressed their inability to operate flights on the Ludhiana route since the airport lacked proper landing facilities due to short runways. Besides, there was no facility for the late landing at the Ludhiana airport.

Putting up a strong case for air connectivity for Ludhiana, the MP pointed out, the World Bank had adjudged Ludhiana as one of the prospective destinations for business. He said, it was an industrial hub with huge productions of hosiery, garments, bicycles, bicycle parts and auto-parts being supplied not only to the domestic, but international market as well. It has also huge tourism and educational potential.

He said, hundreds of people travel daily to and from Delhi and other parts of the country and they feel handicapped as they have to either come from Delhi or Chandigarh. In case there is a direct flight between Ludhiana and Delhi it will save a lot of time for everybody including the businessmen and the entrepreneurs. Even the students who fly out of the state can have direct access without needing to go to Delhi or Chandigarh.

Tewari hoped that the state government will do the needful expected of it so that Ludhiana gets connected by air at the earliest. He pointed out, the civil aviation ministry cannot do everything of its own and the state government cooperation was must. However, he regretted, the state government had been totally indifferent in augmenting the facilities at the airport so far.

The delegation included besides Tewari, Romy Chhabra, Rakesh Nayar, DB Rao, Mr Dagar, Pawan Dewan, Raman Kumar Subramanium, Ashwani Garg and Gurdeep Singh Ahluwalia.

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Investigate the sabotage angle of Jaipur IOCL inferno : Manish Tewari

Manish Tewari, national spokesperson of congress & MP (Ludhiana) today raises Jaipur IOCL Depot inferno in the Parliament and brought to the attention of the house that why can’t the issue of investigation of the inferno be addressed to only the Central Bureau of Investigation as the related news of pilferage scam concerning the same IOCL depot and its adjoining HPCL Depot are already in the public domain. News reports of massive pilferage and oil theft not only pertaining to Jaipur depot but also to oil depots located in Bathinda, Jalandhar, Lalru, Gujarat and other parts of the country clearly mention active connivance of oil company officials and rouge elements in the oil industry. He stressed that all safety measures were proven to be in sufficient and huge lose has been inflicted on public sector undertaking in spite of the fact oil installations across the country are being boasted of state of the art safety infrastructure. It is quiet ironical that none of the safety equipment could douse the fire and the fuel was allowed to burn itself out. He alleged that this is not very satisfactory situation as many mega oil depots and refineries are now located in densely populated areas. Replying to the issues raised by Manish Tewari, Member of Parliament the honourable Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Mr. Murli Deora and his Minister of State Mr. Jatin Prasad stated that the ministry of petroleum has constituted a committee to look into the lapses of safety procedures and the report on security and safety audit of installations will be submitted by 31st of December.
The issues concerning pilferage scam and sabotage are being independently investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and at present various agencies are inquiry into the Jaipur inferno. The issue concerning theft and pilferage happening at various locations mentioned by the honourable Member of Parliament Sh. Manish Tewari will independently be investigated by the ministry of petroleum as well as CBI. The report of the same will be submitted at the floor of the house and the honourable Member of Parliament will informed about that.

Further during the debate in the zero hour on 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai Manish Tewari brought attention to the notice of the Parliament that the police modernization as well as new equipment procured need to focus on its upkeep. He said that our police constabulary who are supposed to be responsible for manning these equipment and actually protecting the nations are given shabby treatment and he brought attention to the news and media reports as to how the constabulary guarding Taj Hotel in Mumbai are actually staying in the Gateway of the India, “this is symptomatic of condition of constabulary in various parts of the country” he alleged.

He requested that the 25 per cent of the funds sent by the Union Government to the state must be spent on the physical infrastructure in which constabulary stage like building, houses for them, schools for their children creating recreational facilities so that they can remain stress free, remain focused on their job and actually carry out the duties of safeguarding the borders and the internal security of the country more satisfactorily.

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Tewari criticizes attack on Congress MLAs
on floor of Punjab Vidhan Sabha

CHANDIGARH, December 8, 2009 :

Condemning the attack on Congress MLAs at the floor of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Manish Tewari, MP said at Akali-BJP government is trying to skirt and scuttle the causes of Ludhiana violence and pinpoint responsibilities for the violence. Ludhiana has suffered severely on account of this violence. It is the fundamental right of every elected MLA to raise matters of public importance at the floor of the Legislative Assembly by refusing them to do so. The undemocratic face of Akali-BJP stands exposed both the Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal and his son the Deputy Minister should on moral responsibility for the collapse of law and order situation in Ludhiana and abdicate their position of power and authority in favour of more competent political leaders who can usher peace and prosperity in Punjab.

On the question of Telangana, Shri Manish Tewari said that the situation unfortunately had been precipitated by the prevailing circumstances. He said that the Congress party did not think that this was the appropriate method of resolving any issue or satiating any demand and appealed to Mr. Chandra Shekhar Rao to adopt a far more reasonable approach than what he has adopted so far. He said that the Congress party does not oppose any reasonable solution which emerges through the process of consensus.

On the question of the Congress party accepting the proposal of forming a separate State from Andhra Pradesh, Shri Manish Tewari said that the Congress party and the Government of Andhra Pradesh had at different points in time reiterated that they were not opposed to the idea of a separate State. However, the Congress party wanted that whatever solution emerges must necessarily emerge through a process of consensus and that was exactly and precisely what the Congress party had been working towards all these years he added. He said that by precipitating the matter by taking hard line positions would not facilitate the process of consensus formation.

On being asked whether the Congress party was deferring this issue since 2004, Shri Manish Tewari said that these were issues which had larger ramifications beyond the immediate demand for Telengana. So things had to be seen in a holistic perspective- not just in a sub-regional context but in a larger national context he said. Thus it was the responsibility of every politician to behave in a Statesman like manner and work towards evolving a consensus on this issue.
On being asked whether the Congress party was in a mood to discuss this issue with Mr. Chandra Shekhar Rao, Shri Manish Tewari said that the Andhra Pradesh Government was definitely working towards ensuring that there was no precipitation of the situation and that there was contact between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Mr. Chandra Shekhar Rao.

To a question on the Babri Masjid debate, Shri Manish Tewari said that the position of the Congress party was unfolding in the House. So it would not be appropriate for him to second guess it. But having said that, the events leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid had played out in full public view and was not something which was clandestine. It happened in front of everybody’s eyes he said. So no matter, how much spin the Bhartiya Janata Party or its President might try and put on to the issue, they could not escape the responsibility from assaulting the very fundamental character of the Indian Constitution.

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