National
Congress, CPI-M question government over Air India divestment
New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The Congress and the CPI-M on Wednesday slammed the Narendra Modi governments move to divest its 49 per cent stake in Air India and allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in single-brand retail.
Congress leader and former Union Minister Anand Sharma said the government should come clear on the Air India deal as to whether the national carrier’s assets “worth lakhs of crores of rupees” and its route rights would also be transferred to the investor.
Sharma said the UPA government had consciously kept Air India out of the purview of FDI though it had allowed 49 per cent FDI in the civil aviation sector.
“It is true that the national carrier has faced challenges, but so have other airlines. We have to examine the government’s decision closely. Whether it also allows foreign carriers (to invest), which presumably is the case, then it raises some fundamental questions,” Sharma said.
“Air India has assets worth lakhs and lakhs of crores (of rupees) in India and abroad. The government needs to inform the country what this policy will do. Don’t want a situation where Air India is sold for a song and all bilateral route rights are gone with that,” he added.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) also strongly opposed the decision to allow “foreign airlines” to invest up to 49 per cent in Air India.
“Having taken the decision to privatise Air India, the Modi government is now moving towards handing over Air India to a foreign airline.
“The government should heed the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which has asked the government to review its decision on privatisation of Air India and give five years to revive the airline with its debts written off,” the Left party said in a statement.
On allowing 100 per cent FDI through the automatic route in single-brand retails, it said that the move reflected on the Modi government’s intentions of “moving towards allowing FDI in multi-brand retail trade”.
However, Sharma termed it just as “a cosmetic change” and “minor tweak” that would not have any significant changes.
“I don’t think its going to make much change, because almost all the major brands of the world are already here as 100 per cent FDI was already allowed. This is done perhaps for the Prime Minister to make a statement at Davos,” Sharma said.
Till now, FDI up to 49 per cent was permitted under the automatic route, while the government’s permission was needed for FDI above that.
Both Congress and CPI-M reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that it had opposed as an opposition party the entry of foreign companies into retail trade and that it had now “hypocritically reversed its position”.
Modi will be travelling to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum Summit later this month.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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