Aviation minister Praful wants to shift ministry?
Indicating, in the backdrop of a possible reshuffle in the Union council of ministers, that it was time for him to head some other ministry, civil aviation minister Praful Patel on Wednesday said that “maybe”, it was time for him to “move on” from the civil aviation ministry. Soon after, however, the minister told this newspaper he had made the comment “in jest”.
Addressing a seminar of air traffic controllers in the capital on Wednesday, Mr Patel said, “This is my fourth visit here (to the annual air traffic controllers’ function). That shows I’ve been here long enough. Maybe, it’s time to move on.” Before leaving the venue of the function, he said, “I said it in jest.”
M. Patel has, so far, completed about six-and-a-half years as minister of state (independent charge) of civil aviation. In fact, when the UPA returned to power in May, 2009, for another five-year term at the Centre, there were reports that Mr Patel was keen to move on to another ministry as a full-fledged Cabinet minister. Though he won his own Lok Sabha election, his party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), did not perform up to expectations.
Also at that time, the financial crisis that hit state-owned carrier Air India was at its peak. The aviation sector was also hit badly due to the recession. The government felt that Mr Patel, with five years of experience as civil aviation minister already under his belt, was the right man to steer the aviation sector out of the woods. It is significant that airlines now are doing much better financially while state-owned carrier Air India has implemented austerity measures to improve its financial situation under the watchful eyes and directions of the Government.
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