Stalin lashes out at BJP, Tamil Nadu Governor
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has attacked the ruling BJP at the Centre, saying those who backed the idea of a "single" concept vis-a-vis faith and language among others, were against social justice.
He also took a swipe at Governor R N Ravi over pending assent to key bills including the one seeking NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu and another one proposing a ban against online rummy.
In his address at the 75th year celebrations of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) here on Friday, the DMK president fondly recalled the cordial relations his late father and former CM M Karunanidhi had with Muslims and their role in his life.
The three concepts of social justice, brotherhood and equality alone had the power to safeguard India, he said.
"Those who want to change India into a country of a single concept -- one faith, one language, one culture, one food, one election and one exam -- are against social justice," he said in an apparent jibe at the BJP.
They were also against brotherhood and equality, he added.
Hitting out at Governor Ravi, Stalin said there was no approval given even for a ban on online rummy, which the Raj Bhavan had returned to the government recently for reconsideration.
"After four months, (he) is saying the state government doesn't have the authority to enact such a legislation. Is he Governor of a state that has no authority to enact even such a simple law?" Stalin asked.
The NEET exemption bill was lying with him for long before being sent to the President, he added.
However, central legislations like the now-scrapped farm laws that "were against farmers" and "the anti-minority CAA" were quickly passed (in the Parliament by the BJP government).
"They will shatter the medical dreams of the poor by bringing in NEET; will impose Hindi. Will carry on a campaign of hatred against members of other faiths. But they are not allowing us to prevent loss of lives (suicides) due to rummy and entrance exam (NEET)," he added.
The 2024 Lok Sabha polls should be the one to put a "full stop" to all these and unity was the need of the hour to achieve that, Stalin said.
Earlier this month also, Stalin had batted for opposition unity to jointly work towards dislodging the BJP regime at the centre in 2024.
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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.
