Nagpur: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has accused NCP leader Praful Patel of ‘ruining’ flag carrier Air India and sought a probe against him in the multi-crore scam at the Mumbai-based Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC Bank).
Prakash Javadekar also alleged huge loans were approved on phone calls during the Manmohan Singh government, which weakened the financial condition of state-run banks.
Javadekar, the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was talking to reporters here. Without naming Patel, Javadekar said, “Certain person who is facing ED probe… his role in PMC Bank bankruptcy case should also be probed.”
“This person was regularly using the aircraft belonging to some of the accused in the PMC bankruptcy case. Similarly, who gave the SRA development work near the Mumbai airport to the accused and why? Hence, more investigation is required to find out who else is involved in the PMC bank scam,” Javadekar said.
The minister’s statement was aimed at the promoters of real estate group HDIL, Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan, who are the prime accused in the PMC Bank scam. They are among the five arrested in the case.
Replying to a query, Javadekar said Patel, as the Aviation Minister, completely ‘ruined’ Air India, which is suffering losses and is on the block for disinvestment.
“Around Rs 60,000 crore worth of new planes were purchased for a Rs 18,000 crore worth company under what business principles? Besides, those planes were not fully utilized,” Javadekar pointed out.
“When planes of other private airlines were working for 20 hours, those of Air India were functioning only for nine hours. How can there be any profit in this situation? Good routes of Air India were given to private players. Who was responsible and accountable for this?” the minister asked.
To a query on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s latest statement that the NDA government should stop blaming the UPA regime for economic and banking woes, Javadekar said India is mirroring what is happening at the global level.
“Economic slowdown is a reflection of global slowdown, but the weak situation of banks arose due a new type of phone banking, which was started under the Manmohan Singh government,” Javadekar told reporters.
“Huge amount of loans were approved on phone calls and they robbed away the money and made the banks bankrupt. Who did this banking fraud?…This responsibility of fraud will fall on the Congress alone,” asserted Javadekar.
Agencies