Clear the skies

In a Cabinet form of government, the Prime Minister is expected to wield sufficient executive powers and moral authority by virtue of heading the Council of Ministers chosen by him. As the ‘lynchpin of government’, he is also supposed to ensure that ministers function on the principle of collective responsibility, especially in taking decisions on matters extending beyond their individual domains. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government that Manmohan Singh heads has clearly been found increasingly wanting on these counts. Whether in allowing the former Telecom Minister, A Raja, to manipulate rules for awarding 2G spectrum licenses or doing done nothing to prevent similar other scams (Commonwealth Games, coal block allocations, AgustaWestland helicopter purchases, etc), the Prime Minister has been seen by many as someone ‘in office without authority’.

That perception may only have got further reinforced with the latest controversy over a bilateral air services agreement between India and Abu Dhabi, entitling their respective carriers to 36,000-odd extra seats per week both ways. The issue here really is not whether the pact was linked to Jet Airways’ proposed 24 per cent equity stake sale to Etihad. There is no doubt that increased flying rights would have benefited the latter – since it is Abu Dhabi’s sole airline – and also acted as a sweetener for the deal with Jet Airways.

The additional seat entitlements that the Civil Aviation Ministry had sought might well have been in excess of what had been recommended by an inter-ministerial group comprising various departments. At the same time, it is inconceivable that Indian civil aviation officials went ahead and concluded an agreement with their counterparts in Abu Dhabi without receiving some kind of mandate at the political level within the Government. It must be assumed, then, that it was the Cabinet’s considered view that the memorandum of understanding signed, such as it was, is in India’s interests, however flawed that perception might be. In the event, it is indeed very strange that a deal signed more than two months ago is still not operationalised despite the Prime Minister’s Office asking the Civil Aviation Ministry to expedite the completion of the administrative formalities and being reminded to do so. What is even more astonishing is that the delay has come about in spite of the Civil Aviation Minister claiming that the bilateral agreement was in India’s interest. Such a state of affairs is neither a great advertisement for the quality of governance nor of the authority of the Prime Minister. The sooner the issue is taken to its logical conclusion the better. Else, India runs the risk of being branded a ‘Banana Republic’ without even the privilege of being a major exporter of that humble fruit in global trade.

COMMENT NOW