Air tragedy in Ahmedabad
In probably one of the worst civil aviation disasters in the country, an Air India passenger plane on an Ahmedabad-London flight crashed just after the take-off in Ahmedabad. How and why the crash took place is for the investigation team to find out. It is reported that the pilot of the twin-engine wide bodied aircraft issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff at 1.39 pm, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said. “The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from Runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Media reports said that over 200 people have died in the crash, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. The question that arises is who is responsible for the tragedy: whether it is the Tata group which operates Air India or directorate general of civil aviation, which is the aviation controller in the country remains to be seen.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Devastating loss
A tragedy struck when the London-bound Air India Flight 171 was departing from Ahmedabad airport; it crashed shortly after the takeoff on Thursday. This is a devastating loss for India and the aviation industry. The shocking incident has created panic among frequent flyers everywhere. Innocent lives were lost in an instant. I hope that authorities will act to prevent the recurrence of such an air disaster.
Lynn Rodrigues, Merces
Stop the blame game
This is with reference to the two news reports ‘Transport Min lashes out at taxi operators’, and ‘Don’t blame cabbies for tourist footfall decline: Lobo to Mauvin’ (NT, June 11, 2025). The blame game for the drop in tourist numbers in Goa has been going on for a considerable period of time, akin to the pot calling the kettle black, with no amenable solution whatsoever. It is a pity that a small state like Goa is unable to find a solution to the vexed problem of having a uniform and affordable app-based taxi system, in line with other states in the country. Besides our beaches, there are several other places of historical and religious importance which tourists would like to visit, but are unable, because of the exorbitant taxi fares, which is proving to be the biggest hindrance. Little wonder then why tourists go back disappointed with bad experiences. Now that 90 per cent of Goans want app-based taxis, it leaves us with little option, except implementing the app-based taxi system, without further delay and kowtowing to the unreasonable demands of taxi drivers.
AF Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Keep eye on govt officers
A superintendent of Central Goods and Services Taxes (CGST) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh to waive off penalty of a private company (NT, June 11, 2025). The CBI seized 17 property documents that were in his and in the name of his family members. The properties, worth crores of rupees, included three flats, one shop and 12 plots in UP. Quite often we also read about officers in GST, income tax, judges, cops, investigative agencies and many more being trapped and held for corruption. The amount of bribery varies from a few thousands to crores or may be in kind. On further digging, it would be revealed that the corrupt officials own benami properties, huge bank balances, high-end cars and so forth. Prior to entering the government service, a background check is carried out of the appointees. Furthermore, every year the officers are mandated to declare their movable and immovable assets and this may or may not be done by them. Yet, based on their designations and place and sensitivity of posting, the government should annually evaluate the officers in terms of their monetary position and lifestyle. Presently only when someone is caught, they start to sing like parrots and skeletons tumble from the closet. A sustained and continuous watch of the officers are required to nip any nefarious activities.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Boon for Kashmir
After the current NDA government assumed office in 2014, there has been a sea-change in the overall attitude of the authorities towards the hopes and aspirations the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the latter via infrastructure. The latest is the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar–Baramulla railway link in general and the commencement of the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train. Among all modes of transport, trains are the ones that connect all people. Commuting between Jammu and Srinagar is a pain in the neck considering the weather vagaries and mind boggling cost. The new train will substantially reduce the travel time and thereby augment efficiency and comfort at all levels. The establishment of the railway link will immensely benefit tourism and economy of the region. Employment generation is a huge offshoot of the above two.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
