Nitish Kumar rejects allegations of political volte-face
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today rejected opposition RJD's allegation that he had done a political volte-face by walking out of the Grand Alliance and re-joined the BJP-led NDA.
Without naming RJD or any of its leaders, Kumar, who is also the JD(U) national president, asserted that he had not turned his back on any of his government's agenda but found it difficult to work with people who believed in using power for amassing wealth.
"It is often said about me - 'palat gaye' (did a volte- face). I wish to point out that I have never turned my back on any of the agenda set by the government headed by me," he said at a function held on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former chief minister Karpoori Thakur.
"I am always of the view that while in power, we have to serve the people. But some people have different beliefs - they think power is meant for amassing huge wealth. I found myself incapable of working with such elements.
"The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) was not formed for indulging in mischief and committing wrongdoing. There is a limit to which I could have compromised. When the limit was crossed, I had to take the decision that best suited the interests of Bihar," the chief minister said.
Kumar had returned to power in 2015 after the emphatic victory of the Grand Alliance comprising the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress in the Assembly polls.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav were made the deputy chief minister and the health minister respectively.
Kumar, however, ditched the alliance in July last year after the RJD refused to heed to his suggestion that Tejashwi Yadav gives a public explanation about money laundering cases in which his name had cropped up.
Kumar then formed a new government in alliance with the BJP and returned to the NDA.
Since then, RJD leaders have been severely critical of Kumar and have accused him of "betraying the mandate".
Paying rich tributes to Thakur, a towering leader who had been a mentor to both Kumar and Prasad, the chief minister said he was an epitome of love and simplicity and only those who try to imbibe these qualities can claim to be his true successors.
Kumar also indirectly accused the opposition party of having "stage-managed" the recent attack on his convoy in Buxar and trying to discourage people from taking part in the state-wide human chain programme on January 21.
"When stones were being hurled at me I was puzzled as I was planning to get down from my vehicle and speak to the people. I know who were behind the incident but have asked officials not to be harsh on those arrested for it. Once out of jail, these misguided people will repent what they did," the chief minister said.
The human chain programme by the JD(U) was against dowry and child marriage, the two issues which have been taken up by Kumar.
"Those who stood beside me holding my hand during the human chain last year in support of the ban on alcohol have now started finding faults with the policy. I also know that people were dissuaded from taking part in the human chain we formed against child marriage and dowry," Kumar said.
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Noida International Airport appoints Nitu Samra as interim CEO
New Delhi (PTI): Noida International Airport on Friday announced the appointment of its Chief Financial Officer Nitu Samra as the interim Chief Executive Officer after authorities denied permission for foreign national Christoph Schnellmann to be at the helm.
"This change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national," NIA said in a statement.
Samra will replace Schnellmann, a Swiss national who has led Noida International Airport (NIA) as the CEO since August 2020.
The regulatory issue related to the requirement of having an Indian national as CEO has been delaying the start of commercial operations of the airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
Schnellmann will join the airport's Board of Directors as Executive Vice Chairman. In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations, the statement said.
With immediate effect, NIA said Samra has been appointed as the CEO on an interim basis until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process.
Samra has been serving as the CFO since October 2021 and was closely involved in the airport’s development journey, overseeing financial stewardship, governance, and strategic planning during a key phase of the project, the statement added.
NIA will be operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, under a public-private partnership.
Originally scheduled to commence passenger services in September 2024, NIA is being developed in four phases, along with a dedicated cargo terminal. It received an aerodrome license from the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March.
YIAPL Chairman Daniel Bircher said that since the inauguration of the airport by the Prime Minister, the goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible.
"This management change brings the airport into compliance with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport’s leadership team. The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture," he said.
On March 28, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said commercial flight operations from the airport would start in the next 45 to 60 days.
Among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, NIA will initially have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum.
Once fully developed, the airport will have a total passenger handling capacity of 70 million.
The first phase of NIA has been developed at an investment of around Rs 11,200 crore. 'DXN' is the code for the airport.
The airport features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft, along with modern navigation systems, including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and advanced airfield lighting.
The peak handling capacity in the first phase will be 30 flights per hour.
In the first phase, there will be 28 aircraft stands, and the projected cargo capacity is around 2.5 lakh tonnes.
Terminal 1 of the airport is spread across 1,37,985 square metres with 48 check-in counters. Over 40 acres of land have been earmarked for developing MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facilities at the airport.
