Times News Network

New Delhi, Mar 15: There has been a Union Cabinet reshuffle.

Taking the whole country by surprise, the government announced that Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav has been given the additional charge of the Civil Aviation ministry.

Praful Patel, the Union minister who was in charge of the Civil Aviation ministry, has been asked by his party high command to take over party assignment. As to which NCP candidate will replace Praful Patel in the government is still to be decided.

Sources claim that under pressure from the Left, the PM was forced to remove the minister from his portfolio. Apparently the Left was not too pleased with the way the whole airport privatization issue was handled by the minister. It seems Mr Patel's reassurances failed to assuage the fears of the Left.

In the recent past many of the decisions taken by the government had not gone down well with this ally and this decision was probably an attempt to placate them. However, the choice of Lalu Prasad Yadav as the civil aviation minister has left many stumped. The Railway and now Civil Aviation minister will have a lot on his head.

Patel has a lot to show in terms of his achievements for the airline sector. His performance as the Civil Aviation minister has been generally appreciated though it was not without its share of controversies. He even won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Aviation Minister of the Year award.

Now with Lalu as the minister, one sure can expect some major changes, one only wonders what. Considering the fact that the minister in the recent rail budget has decided to involve private partnership in the railways, one can hope that the airport privatisation deal would continue on track.

Lalu, whose rail budget has been hailed as 'pragmatic' and 'forward-looking' by both the public and the industry should hopefully bring out positive changes in the functioning of the airports and the official airline. For someone who has major plans to modernise railway platforms and make them passenger friendly, Lalu should work on similar lines as far as his new ministry is concerned.

But this dual role also brings a clash of interests for the minister. Where on one side he has reduced the fares of the AC- I class to lure passengers away from the low-cost airlines, now he'll have to make sure there is ample business for both the sectors. Well, a healthy competition is welcome anywhere.

Whatever plans the minister may have for his new ministry; there are a couple of changes that he sure will make. Along with Delhi and Mumbai, Bihar too will spot a spanking new international airport. Indian Airlines flights would be flying more often to Bihar!

Don't be surprised to find earthen plates and khullars replace the plastic cutlery being used in Indian Airlines and Air India. Alcohol would probably be scrapped from the menu and then of course there is the decor - a new look in khadi.
This will be a time when the Maharaja will go truly Indian.