Thursday, June 6, 2013

Swamy writes to PM: Demands comprehensive review of Jet-Etihad deal


Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy has demanded that the agreement between Jet Airways and Etihad Airlines be reviewed  as it is not in national interest. He has written a letter to Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh has asked for a comprehensive review of the deal. He has announced that if PM does not stop this , then he will approach court with a public interest litigation (PIL) .
The text of the letter is reproduced here along with two  news paper reports-one in Hindi (Amar Ujala Dainik by Ajeet Singh) and next by Palak Shah in ET ,Mumbai

                                                      Letter to Prime Minister 
Dear Prime Minister: May 29, 2013

I write this letter on the subject of another developing mega fraud that also impinges on India’s national security. This fraud is the so-called Jet Airways-Etihad deal, that has two components—one of enabling Etihad to become entitled by a MoU executed on 24.04.2013 by the Governments of India and UAE [Abu Dhabi] on Bilateral Air Services vastly enhance Etihad’s air traffic, measured by seat capacity, between the two countries. This arbitrarily determined entitlement, tantamount to free provision of India’s sovereign airspace to a foreign airline, hence fraught with serious national security issues, is patently for sweetening the private purchase of Jet Airway’s substantial equity by Etihad.

What is distressing is that the minuted Note signed by Finance Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram dated 22.04.2013 [Annexure 1] reveals that this rocket speed clearance of the deal is on your “direction”. The enclosed Note in Annexure 1, sanitized to delete file notings of officials and signatures [including of FM], is self explanatory.

News media reveal that the inked deal on bilateral air space use is to be cleared by the Cabinet soon upon your return from Japan, and the Etihad equity purchase is to be put up and cleared by the FIPB and signed by the FM around 7.6.2013.

My usually reliable sources abroad tell me that this deal if finally cleared and implemented would destroy Indian airline industry, particularly Air India, and empower a foreign airline and a nation known for money-laundering become a hub of India’s passenger traffic.

That is why the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in its Report submitted early this month on the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Demand for Grants (2013-14) stated [paras 77-94] that this Bilateral Agreement [now being processed for execution at an uncharacteristic and unprecedented pace], is reconsidered since in it is not in the national interest. The Committee has also recommended [para 94] penalization of Jet Airways for clandestinely selling its London route entitlement to Etihad even before the deal is sealed, and without informing the Government of India.

Therefore if you do not order a comprehensive review of these two interlocking agreements i.e., [1] between GOI and UAE of use of air space for flights and seats offered and [2] purchase of Jet Airways equity, you will be directly responsible for an arbitrary and unreasonable deal in which windfall gains will be made by private and foreign parties at the cost of the nation and hence without any public interest.

Prima facie, this would attract Section 13(1)(d) (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988) and make you and some others culpable under the said Section.
The common talk in UAE is that following the Supreme Court’s cancellation of the 2G Spectrum licence of the Etisalat Telecom, which licence was illegally bought by them from Swan Telecom, the illegal beneficiaries from that deal who are highly placed in your government, have sought by this airlines’ deal to mitigate formal and informal losses suffered by Etisalat and hence UAE. In this connection, the undue interest shown by the Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Ms. Sonia alias Antonia Gandhi, in processing of these two agreements at rocket speed is worthy of notice in the national interest.

If you decide to direct a review of these two aforesaid agreements, I shall happy to assist your government in the entire matter. Otherwise, aggrieved by your disregard of public interest I shall approach the Supreme Court by way of a Public Interest Litigation.

Warm regards,
Yours Sincerely

Subramanian Swamy


अबू धाबी हवाई करार पर लटकी जांच की तलवार
नई दिल्ली/अजीत सिंह | अंतिम अपडेट 4 जून 2013 12:22 AM IST पर

जेट-ऐतिहाद सौदे में अहम भूमिका निभाने वाले अबू धाबी के साथ हुए हवाई सीटों के समझौते पर विवाद बढ़ता जा रहा है। हालांकि अभी तक इस समझौते को केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल की मंजूरी नहीं मिली है।

इस बीच जेट-ऐतिहाद डील को फायदा पहुंचाने के आरोप तूल पकड़ रहे हैं। नागर विमानन मंत्रालय सूत्रों के मुताबिक इसके लिए तैयार नोट कैबिनेट की मंजूरी के लिएभेज दिया गया है।

जनता पार्टी के अध्यक्ष सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी ने प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह को चिट्ठी लिखकर जेट-ऐतिहाद सौदे और अबू धाबी की हवाई सीटें बढ़ाने के समझौते की जांच कराने की मांग की है।

उन्होंने कहा कि अगर उनकी मांग पर विचार नहीं किया गया तो वह इस मामले में 2जी की तरह अदालत का दरवाजा खटखटा सकते हैं।

पूर्व नागर विमानन मंत्री राजीव प्रताप रूडी ने अबू धाबी के साथ हुए समझौते पर गंभीर सवाल उठाए हैं। सिविल एविएशन पर बनी संसद की स्थायी समिति भी एयर इंडिया के हितों की अनदेखी कर हुए इस समझौते पर कड़ा ऐतराज जता चुकी है।
 

नागर विमानन मंत्रालय से जुड़े सूत्रों का कहना है कि अबू धाबी के साथ हवाई सीटें बढ़ाने का करार करवाने का फैसला मंत्रालय ने अपने स्तर पर नहीं लिया था। यह समझौता वित्त मंत्री पी. चिदंबरम की अध्यक्षता वाले अंतर मंत्रालय समूह (आईएमजी) की शह पर हुआ है।

गत 22 अप्रैल को वित्त मंत्री की अध्यक्षता में हुई आईएमजी की बैठक में अबू धाबी के साथ हवाई सीटों की संख्या प्रति सप्ताह बढ़ाकर 40 हजार करने पर सहमति बनी थी। इसके अगले दिन ही दोनों देशों के बीच सीटों की संख्या अगले तीन साल में 13,330 से बढ़ाकर 50,270 करने के लिए द्विपक्षीय समझौता हो गया था।

इसके साथ ही जेट एयरवेज में ऐतिहाद ने 24 फीसदी इक्विटी खरीदी थी, जो देश में नागर विमानन में पहला प्रत्यक्ष विदेशी निवेश (एफडीआई) है। लेकिन अब विवाद बढ़ता देख नागर विमानन मंत्रालय इस मामले से पल्ला झाड़ने की मुद्रा में आ गया है।

सीटें बढ़ाने के फैसले पर कैबिनेट की मुहर पर मंत्रालय सूत्रों का कहना है कि मंत्रालय द्वारा भेजे गए कैबिनेट नोट पर जल्द ही फैसला हो सकता है।

पूर्व नागर विमानन मंत्री रूडी का कहना है कि जेट-ऐतिहाद सौदा और इसे फायदा पहुंचाने के लिए अबू धाबी से हुआ हवाई समझौता राष्ट्र हितों के पूरी तरह खिलाफ है।

जेट-ऐतिहाद की डील एफडीआई और सिविल एविएशन के मानकों को भी पूरा नहीं करती है। राष्ट्र हितों की अनदेखी कर गैरकानूनी तरीके से यह समझौता करवाया गया है।

सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी ने प्रधानमंत्री को लिखे पत्र में पूरे मामले को अदालत में चुनौती देने की चेतावनी दी है। उन्होंने इस सौदे को लेकर वित्त मंत्रालय और सरकार पर गंभीर सवाल खड़े किए हैं

Subramanian Swamy wants investigation into Jet-Etihad deal
Palak Shah, ET Bureau Jun 3, 2013, 04.00AM IST
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/images/pixel.gif
MUMBAI: After the Parliament standing committee on Transport Tourism & Culture raised concerns on the Jet-Etihad deal, Janta Party chief Subramanian Swamy has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking a probe into the issue.
Swamy has said that he may move the Supreme Court against the deal if no probe was ordered by the PM. The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways recently agreed to infuse Rs 2,054 crore into Jet Airways which would help the foreign carrier expand its limited footprint in India. The letter, dated May 29, states that the deal has two components, which enables Etihad to become entitled to Bilateral Air Services that vastly enhances its air traffic, measured by seat capacity, between the UAE and India.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/images/pixel.gifAnd, second of arbitrarily determined entitlement, that tantamounts to free provision of India's sovereign airspace to a foreign airline which has serious security implications. A memorandum of understanding between the Government of India and the UAE have facilitated these provisions, says the letter.
Last month, the Parliament Standing Committee led by CPM Leader Sitaram Yechuri in its report had said that the bilateral agreement (between India and the UAE) are not in the national interest. The committee had also recommended penalising Jet Airways for clandestine sale of its London route entitlement to Etihad even before the deal was sealed, which the report said was done without informing the government.
"If you (Prime Minister) do not order a comprehensive review of these two interlocking agreements i.e., [1] between GoI and UAE of use of air space for flights and seats offered and [2] purchase of Jet Airways' equity, you will be directly responsible for an arbitrary and unreasonable deal in which windfall gains will be made by private and foreign parties at the cost of the nation without any public interest," Swamy said in his letter.
"If you decide to direct a review of these two aforesaid agreements, I shall be happy to assist your government in the entire matter. Otherwise, aggrieved by your disregard of public interest, I shall approach the Supreme Court by way of a Public Interest Litigation," the letter added.


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