First commercial flight of made-in-India Dornier plane on Dibrugarh-Pasighat route on Tuesday
New Delhi, Apr 11: Alliance Air's made-in-India Dornier 228 aircraft will be deployed for its first commercial flight on Dibrugarh-Pasighat route on Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Monday.
The Centre-run Alliance Air had in February signed an agreement with the government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to lease two 17-seater Dornier 228 aircraft. The airline received its first Dornier 228 plane on April 7.
Its first flight will be on Tuesday between Dibrugarh in Assam and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh to boost connectivity in the northeastern states, the airline said in a statement.
Alliance Air said it will be India's first commercial airline to fly Indian-made aircraft for civil operations.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, there will also be inauguration of first flying training organisation at Lilabari, Assam, it mentioned.
Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be present on the occasion of Dornier 228's first flight and the flying training organisation's opening.
Till date, Dornier 228 planes are used by the armed forces only.
उड़े उत्तर-पूर्व का आम नागरिक!
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) April 11, 2022
कल अरुणाचल प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री माननीय श्री @PemaKhanduBJP जी की उपस्थित में डिब्रूगढ़ से पासीघाट के लिए एक नई फ्लाइट का उद्घाटन किया जाएगा। उत्तर-पूर्व को भारत के विकास का इंजन बनाने में ये एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम साबित होगा । pic.twitter.com/yja2VEsYwR
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TN seeks duty-free cotton imports to support textile sector: CM Vijay writes to PM
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the import duty on cotton.
In his first letter to Modi after taking over as chief minister of the state, he said Tamil Nadu is the country’s largest textile and apparel exporting state.
Lakhs of people are dependent on this sector for both direct and indirect employment, especially women from rural and semi-urban backgrounds, Vijay pointed out.
Stating that the industry is facing a severe crisis due to an increase in cotton prices and consequently yarn prices, he said, “I understand this is caused primarily due to a shortage in cotton production and increased trading activity in the country.”
Pointing out that the price of cotton has increased from Rs 54,700 to Rs 67,700 per candy—an increase of 25 per cent over the last two months—while yarn prices have increased from Rs 301 to Rs 330 per kg, he said, “In this situation, the continued supply of raw material can be ensured only through imports.”
However, there is an import duty of 11 per cent on cotton, he said, adding that in such a situation, permitting duty-free cotton imports will help the industry meet increasing export commitments and remain globally competitive.
Vijay said that after agriculture, the textile and apparel sector is one of the largest employment-generating sectors.
“There is a significant responsibility on the government to safeguard the employment of lakhs of people and ensure the sustainability of the textile value chain," he said.
“Hence, I request your intervention to remove the import duty on cotton from the existing 11 per cent to 0 per cent to ensure the availability of raw material. This measure will enable the textile and apparel industry to remain globally competitive, enhance exports, and protect jobs,” he added.
