ICPA writes letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, urges return of pending dues of Air India employees

Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) on Wednesday wrote a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the return of pending dues of retired and serving employees of Air India. "At this crux, we would like to inform you on behalf of all the serving and retired employees of Air India, that our hard-earned money amounting to 25 per cent for four years is being withheld illegally. Undertakings by the Government of India and the management of Air India to return our pending dues has been submitted in the Supreme Court of India," read the letter, which was undersigned by T. Praveen Keerthi, ICPA General Secretary.

The ICPA said that employees are aware of the fact that the government is soon going to take important decisions regarding Air India."We are confident that any decisions made would be in the best interest of the Nation, keeping in mind the role the Air India has Performed in all these years especially the past when the nation needed its service for various evacuations, relief flights, positioning of our great Army and the role it is expected to perform henceforth," the letter added.

It is to be noted that Shah is leading a group of ministers which has been tasked with completing the disinvestment of Air India. The IPCA decided to write a letter to the Union home minister after reports surfaced that Shah is going to hold a meeting on Air India's disinvestment. Few days ago, Minister of Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that the government has decided to sell out the national carrier.

The ICPA also expressed hope that steps will be taken by the government to return all the money which held under all heads to its rightful employees before selling out Air India, which is currently under Rs 59,000 crore debt. "We are confident under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, justice will be served to all the serving and retired employees of Air India Ltd," it said.