It was a Catch-22 for Pune-based central government employee and All-India Defence Employees Association Federation leader Ravindra Reddy. Reddy was recently required to travel to Delhi on official work, but because of a recent government order he could fly only the government-run carriers — Air India/Indian. Not only were the AI tickets more expensive than those of the other airlines, Reddy's two-day trip became a four-day one because he had to catch the flight from Mumbai. This meant double the expense at a time when government officials are being asked to tread the austerity path.

“It’s almost contradictory. They speak of cutting expenditure but flight tickets for Air India are more expensive. Earlier, we were allowed to fly on the cheapest ticket available. But now I had to go to Delhi via Mumbai because of flight timings — you end up spending half your time in transit,” Reddy said.

The All-India Defence Employees Federation has taken up the issue with the Ministry of Defence. “We have written to them on behalf of the association, asking them to exempt us,” Reddy said.

The central government employees say Pune is worse off as there is just one Air India flight from here. For everything else, they have to go to Mumbai. “One has to fly the previous evening, stay the night at a guest house or a hotel, and then take the morning flight. If the meeting is in the afternoon, then we have to take the evening flight back on the same day. But then again, there is the return leg of the journey to Pune,” Reddy said.

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