AI is safe, says Praful Patel

NEW DELHI: Praful Patel leaves the civil aviation ministry with national carrier Air India gasping for breath and as new heavy industries minister he will have to decide if the airline should be declared sick.

Air India's sorry state is being seen as a key reason behind Patel's shift to the low-visibility heavy industries and public enterprises portfolio. His elevation to cabinet rank did not come as a surprise, but his shift to the new ministry definitely came as one.

'' AI will get my fullest support. It is not a case for being declared sick,'' Patel told TOI.

Observers say Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision to give additional charge of aviation to prominent Congress leader from Kerala Vayalar Ravi, is to prevent the national carrier from closing down.

Ravi is a former trade union leader and has an understanding of how the public sector enterprises function. His experience may come in handy for the crisis-ridden airline. AI's turnaround plans are yet to be implemented.
Patel said he had leaving the civil aviation in good health. ''It is now a ''sunshine sector''.

On his promotion, he said: ''I am very happy to come to the Cabinet. I have spent 20 years in Parliament and deserved the Cabinet rank.'' He said he would look back on his aviation minister days with great satisfaction. ''It got transformed into a vibrant sector with infrastructure seeing vast improvement, Now I look forward to doing something else, something new.'' Asked about his relatively non-descript ministry, he shot back: ''Do you think a portfolio being handled by a senior leader and a former CM (referring to Vilasrao Deshmukh whom he replaces) can be an unimportant one?''

While Patel got bouquets for new airlines, low fares and modern airports, his handling of AI has attracted brickbats. Decisions like placing order for 111 new planes worth Rs 55,000 crore for an airline living in virtual penury; merging Indian Airlines and Air India and allowing foreign airlines to come in droves to India are seen to be the biggest reasons for AI's fall. Patel has always maintained that those decisions were right and their implementation poor.