Govt to subsidise airlifting of Indians

In an unexpected humane gesture, the government has decided to subsidise airlifting of Indian citizens stranded in the Gulf. In the aftermath of the war on Iraq, the government has decided to use Indian Airlines and Air-India aircrafts to get back Indians by subsidising 55 to 60 per cent of their costs on tickets. In the first 10 days, one lakh Indians are expected to be brought back and the tab for the government in terms of the subsidy will be Rs 5 crore. Sources told The Indian Express that the government was prepared for evacuating upto 5 lakh Indians in the Middle East in case the war continued for a longer period. ‘‘The maximum bill on account of the subsidy would be Rs 25 crore, a small amount considering the value of the lives of the millions living there,’’ an official said. Nearly 50,000 people have already been evacuated from the Middle East and have landed at airports across the country including Mumbai, Thiruvanathapuram and Ahmedabad.

The Cabinet secretary chaired a meeting of top officials from various ministries — finance, civil aviation, petroleum among others. The ‘crisis resolution group’ decided to keep a close watch on the developments in the region and be prepared for any eventualities. Among the other issues discussed in Friday’s meeting was a restructuring of the excise duty structure on petro products.