Govt rules out grounding Alliance Air fleet

Govt rules out grounding Alliance Air fleet
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, July 18: Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav today ruled out grounding of any aircraft of the Alliance Air, whose 20-year-old Boeing 737-200 crashed in Patna on Monday killing 56 people.

"There is no question of grounding any Alliance Air plane," he said emerging out of a Cabinet meeting here.

He announced that the Government would expedite the process of acquisition of over 12 planes for Alliance Air. The process, including technical and financial bids, started about 18 months ago, but got delayed due to Lok Sabha elections and other political developments, he said.

The Minister said he had spoken to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the process would be completed in three to four months.

Yadav said around five aircraft would also be taken on lease for Air India.

MOBILE VENTILATORS: Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav today intervened to get mobile ventilators to enable three survivors in Monday's air crash in Patna to be airlifted to Delhi for specialised treatment.

Sources said Pramod Rajgharia, a well-known UK-based surgeon, and his two children Ketan and Prachi needed mobile ventilators for being brought here for treatment. His wife Kiran died in the crash.

As the ventilators were not available at government hospitals here, the Minister intervened to get them from the private Apollo hospital.

TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member G K Moopanar, who is a friend of the Rajgharias, had taken up the matter with Yadav to ensure that the victims got the best treatment.