The newly appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Airlines (IA), Mr. Anil Baijal, today officially assumed charge, following the Government's decision on Friday night to sack the existing boards of both IA and Air India (AI). Mr. Baijal, who is a Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, replaces Mr. P.C. Sen, who in addition to being CMD of LA was also the Chairman of AI. The Government justified the dissolution of the two boards by citing their December 7 decision to merge the two airlines under a joint holding company, which, a top PMO official held, was 'contrary to our present judgment'. Such a unilateral decision on the part of the boards of the two carriers, he said, had not been welcomed even by the Civil Aviation Ministry.

India to move WTO disputes panel

India has decided to file a complaint against US export sanctions in the Dispute Settlement Panel (DSP) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The US had restricted exports on 40 Indian entities and 200 subsidiaries. India has maintained that the US action was violative of the obligations of member countries under the WTO, especially Articles 1,11 and 13 of the GATT.

Samadhan scheme unlikely to get extension

There is little likelihood of the one-time 'Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme, 1998' getting an extension beyond December 31. Mr. P.N. Malhotra, Member, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), said that extension of KVSS '98 was highly unlikely. Although declarations under KVSS till end-November were not many, CBEC was confident that the tempo would pick up in the last week, as it was with VDIS '97. Some 70 per cent of the VDIS declarations were received in the last week of December 1997.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW