SC refuses urgent hearing of plea on flight cancellations by IndiGo, says govt has taken steps
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accord urgent hearing to a plea seeking judicial intervention into cancellation of hundreds of flights by IndiGo, saying the Centre has taken note of the situation and has taken steps to address it.
The top court said it was cognizant of the fact that lakhs of people are stranded at various airports.
"It is a serious matter. Lakhs of people are stranded at the airports. We know that the government of India has taken timely action and cognizance of the issue. We know people may have health issues and other important issues etc.," Chief Justice Surya Kant, who was heading a bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said.
A lawyer mentioned the issue and said there have been a lot of flight cancellations by IndiGo over the last few days and passengers are suffering.
ALSO READ: IndiGo crisis enters day 7; 127 flights cancelled from Bengaluru
"The cancellations are not informed to the flyers," he said, adding that around 2,500 flights are delayed and customers are suffering at 95 airports across the country.
Over 250 IndiGo flights from Delhi and Bengaluru airports were cancelled on Monday as the disruptions of the airline's flight operations entered the seventh day, sources told PTI.
At the Delhi airport, 134 flights were cancelled -- 75 departures and 59 arrivals -- while at the Bengaluru airport, the carrier cancelled 117 services -- 65 arrivals and 62 departures.
IndiGo has been facing heat from both the government and the passengers for cancelling hundreds of flights since December 2, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. The disruptions have left lakhs of passengers stranded at airports across the country.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BJP using women's quota bill as front to pass Delimitation Bill that will break India: Mamata
Cooch Behar (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law in Parliament as a front for the Delimitation Bill that would "break the country into pieces".
The TMC will fight this Central government's move at every step, she asserted at her party's poll rally here.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law, along with the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, to implement the proposed amended women's quota law, in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
According to the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Opposing the Centre's move, Banerjee alleged that "the BJP brought the Delimitation Bill while keeping the women's reservation bill at the front".
"The BJP is trying to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to nearly 850 through the Delimitation Bill. It will break the country into pieces," the TMC supremo said.
She also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not speaking the truth about the development of north Bengal at a BJP rally last week.
"The prime minister said nothing was done for the development of north Bengal. But we spent Rs 1.72 lakh crore on the development of the region," Banerjee said and asked Modi to cross-check data before making such remarks.
