Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Tuesday that the state government will continue to pressure the union government to Forrest all charges made by airlines on Haj pilgrims and expatriates, which is incredibly expensive. In response to a submission in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said he was concerned over the high ticket prices that have to be paid by the Haj pilgrims and Keralites returning home during the festival seasons and vacations. This long-standing issue has put a skin-taxing burden on people going for religious or personal reasons, he said.
Also highlighting the state’s proactive efforts, Vijayan told the Assembly that a letter had already been sent to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation requesting the Centre to take the initiative and play their role in checking the arbitrary pricing practices of airline companies. He also said the issue was taken up at the Members of Parliament meeting before the monsoon session of Parliament, which proves the matter has been taken into consideration at various levels.
The chief minister noted that the central government has stood its ground that airlines are autonomous, and their airfares and airfare adjustments are made by them independently for their commercial decisions or marketing strategies. Recalling, Vijayan said the union government allowed airlines to raise tickets at will by removing ticket regulation policies back in 1994, and that is when the freedoms were unleashed to set any rate they choose.
The Chief Minister expressed, however, that the unchecked freedom given to airlines has led to the exploitation of passengers mainly during peak travel periods, i.e. Haj pilgrimage and festive times. He assured that the Kerala government will continue to take this up with the centre and place the interest of ordinary travellers and reasonable air fares for pilgrims and expatriates in place.
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