Author: admin2

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Madam, I will first say that this Amendment Bill will really strengthen the main statute. A good number of provisions have been made in this Bill to strengthen the hands of the Central Government and I feel that this Bill is very much essentially required.

Today, the number of aircraft is increasing day by day. Some companies have collapsed, but that is a different thing. So many aircraft are flying. The object of this Bill is to make better provisions for the control of manufacturing, operating, sharing, and importing and exporting of aircraft. Everything is covered.

Madam, through you, I request the hon’ble minister to more stringent provisions for the employees and staff of the aircraft companies. Nowadays, they are behaving like unruly horses. The moment the passengers are entering an aircraft, these pilots and crew are behaving like kings or queens. 

Their behavior with the passengers is not good at all. They do not know how to behave and even breach their own rules. If anybody points these out, then they are threatened. It has become the practice of particularly one aircraft company, which I do not want to name; the minister knows about that company. I have told him personally. 

Therefore, I will rather request you to formulate some stringent provisions. You see, guidelines do not have any statutory force. Rather, make stringent provisions in the Act itself regarding how these persons should behave. My point is that the passengers should not be humiliated by any of the employees of the aircraft companies. 

I have also seen that a particular company misbehaves with specifically Members of Parliament. They try to create an atmosphere as if MPs are misbehaving with them. And media reports suggest that the MPs have committed something wrong. Naturally, in the last few months we have seen reports of three or four MPs harassing airlines. The issue is under investigation, so I do not want to comment on it.

I am happy to see that there is an enhancement of the punishment: “for an increase up to one crore” substituted with “one crore”. It is necessary for anyone committing an offence or misbehaving with people. In future, in your own wisdom, you may bring some more laws which will be of help. 

I will be ending with this. We are totally against the privatisation of Air India. Why is Air India being privatised? 

• In 2012, area restructuring plan for Air India was framed. 
• In April 2012, the Government signed a 10-year restructuring plan with Air India International (AI). 
• By April 2012, when the Government finally signed a turnaround plan for AI, the annual operational loss of the airline had increased to around Rs 5,000 crore and its accumulated debt had increased to nearly Rs 3,500 crore. 
• It was then operating on a capital base of Rs 3,345 crore (FY 12). 

Repeated statements by the Ministers-in-Charge in Parliament, over the years, have testified that the Government is largely satisfied, that is, AI (Air India International) is working as per the turnaround plan.

Therefore is Air India a loss-making company?

I’m just giving some figures – Operational parameters of Air India

• In 2011-12, operational profit was Rs -4,901 crore (that is, loss of Rs 4,901 crore) and passenger load factor was 67.9%.
• In 2012-13, operational profit was Rs -3,806 crore (that is, loss of Rs 3,806 crore) and passenger load factor was 72.4%. 
• In 2013-14, operational profit was Rs -3,978 crore (that is, loss of Rs 3,978 crore) and passenger load factor was 73.3%. 
• In 2014-15, operational profit was Rs -2,636 crore (that is, loss of Rs 2,636 crore) and passenger load factor was 73.7%. 
• In 2015-16, operational profit was Rs 105 crore and passenger load was 75.6%
• In 2016-17, operational profit was Rs 1,086 crore and passenger load was 76.4%. 

With this background in mind, when Air India is making profit, why should it be privatised?

Yesterday there was a discussion regarding employment. How will employment go up Now, the Air India employees are employees of a government company; this gives them security of life. And Air India is also the pride of the nation.

Every nation has their own national airline. Till now, Air India, in comparison with the other airlines, is doing well. The crew and captains are much better-behaved when compared with those from private airlines. Also, if you disinvest and turn it into a private company, the employees’ job security will go. I know the disinvestment plan has been postponed and therefore, the time for the same to happen has been extended. Hence, I would request again to reconsider it. Stop the disinvestment of Air India.

Air India has been in existence since the time when there were two airlines. At that time, they were the only companies. A number of private companies have come and gone. The private airlines only think about their profits, nothing more than that. But Air India thinks about the people of the country and not only about itself. It serves the people. The Government has sovereign duties and is not motivated by profits like private organisations. It is the job and responsibility of the Government.

The dream which had been sown by Mr Sinha can be fulfilled only if Air India does not become a private organisation.

Thank you, Madam.

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Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak during Zero Hour.

Sir, online pharmacies in India are operating without a drug license as there are no rules for the same, for the sector. Delhi High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by Zaheer Ahmed in December 2018 had ordered a ban on sale of illegal or unlicensed stock of medicines till the Government brought rules to regulate e-pharmacies. 

But this verdict is being disobeyed; e-pharmacies are prospering even more. They are providing easier methods to get hold of medicines which might be lethal. This unregulated online sale of medicine is in contravention of the provision of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the other allied laws and moreover, this poses huge risk to the society.

I sincerely request the minister to look into the matter and ban this sale immediately till a regulation is brought about.

Thank you, Sir.

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Sir, I want to point out, through you, a very sensitive thing happening all over the country. The breeding ground of corruption now is the Debt Recovery Tribunal and National Company Law Tribunal. 

Sir, through you, I will request the hon’ble minister, to please appoint a Vigilance Department everywhere. Too much corruption is going on. Judges’ representatives are coming only one day before to the clients for negotiation. This is too much. Corruption is going on.

 

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Sir, under Rule 72 (1) of the Procedure, I beg to oppose the introduction of The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020. It seems that the Government has set up a committee consisting of representatives of the ministry, industry chambers, professional institutes and legal fraternity on September 18, 2019. It is periodically giving recommendations, which the government is bringing in the form of a law.

It seems to be that the government is heavily influenced by the representatives of the industry chambers. Whatever they are saying is good for ease of doing business, it is being accepted.

As Bhartuhari Mahtab aptly pointed out, today the CEO of Yes Bank Rana Kapoor is in jail custody for defrauding his bank for crores of rupees. About that the government had not done anything. And now it is said that this Bill seeks to decriminalise certain offences under the increase of defaults. In other words, this law seeks to relax regulations for companies in the name of greater ease of doing business. 

I want to mention that one of the great boons of the 2013 Companies Act was the introduction of the concept of corporate social responsibility. There are many companies which are not observing corporate social responsibility. Now they have even relaxed. 

The provisions with regard to corporate social responsibility provide that companies which have CSR pending obligation upto Rs 50 lakh shall not be required to constitute the CSR Committee. This is lightening, relaxing in the name of ease of doing business. 

They are giving over the whole to corporates. Corporates in turn are hoodwinking the public. They are taking the people for a ride. We have also not forgotten the case of Satyam Computers yet. 

So, some strict provisions should be added to the Companies Law. That is what I feel.

 

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Sir, I rise to speak on the matter of petroleum prices. While the world economy is taking a hit due to coronavirus, the Indian economy is suffering even more due to the miscalculated steps taken by the present central government. This is most evident in how the government has failed to pass on the benefits of plunging oil prices to consumers.

Oil prices have declined due to fights between Saudi Arabia and Russia, and it has seen the sharpest drop since the Gulf war of 1991. For a monthly average of nearly $66 per barrel in December, 2019, the price of crude oil was down at $34.70 as of March 11, 2020.

Now given that we get 85 per cent of our crude import, the drop in oil prices should have brought good news to the common people. But the Modi Government has subsequently raised excise duty to collect more taxes. Though the government has given miniscule price cuts of 12 paise per litre on petrol and 14 paise a litre on diesel. 

The Central Code of Indian Taxation and Customs raised special excise duties on petrol price by Rs 2 and additional road cess was raised by Re 1 per litre each on petrol and diesel. This has taken the total excise duty on petrol to Rs 22.98 per litre and on diesel to Rs 20.83 per litre.

Sir the move is said to fetch the Government Rs 39,000 crore.

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