New Delhi: A canard is being spread by a section of press media about splurging crores of rupees on organizing a function recently to coincide with the Air India Day. The reporting is totally baseless, mischievous and devoid of truth, an official Press Release issued by Air India said.
It is reiterated that Air India is fully aware of its responsibilities towards the judicious use of tax payer's money and we are always committed to serve the nation to the best of our capabilities.
It is to uphold the tradition of Air India to rise to the occasion whenever the nation demands even putting at risk the lives of our brave staffs including pilots, cabin crews, engineers and ground staffs that after so many years Air India decided to organize Air India day on 27th August, 2014.
The function was intended to felicitate our brave employees who have shown exemplary courage and devotion to the duty while going on rescue operations to bring back hundreds of our countrymen from the conflict zone in Iraq and Libya.
Also AI wanted to honor our courageous pilots who have efficiently negotiated emergency landing while the aircraft was on fire. All this was intended to instill a sense of pride and confidence in our workforce who are slowly coming out of low morale over the period of difficult days in the company.
It was perfectly timed to celebrate our entry into Star Alliance ushering an era of improved product of AI on a global platform. We also felicitated our business partners for their continued support in our difficult period.
While AI is trying to regain its past glory with hard earned successes in the recent time, there is a concerted effort on the part of a section of media to derail and demoralise our promise to success.
This section is showing undue harshness and resorting to biased, concocted, baseless and demeaning reporting in recent days to malign our reputations particularly when AI is showing definite promise.
A canard has been spread by a section of vested media that crores were spent on the function, whereas the fact is that the total expenditure on the occasion was just around Rs.10 lacs. All participants in the cultural function were talents of employees of the company only.
No outside artist was associated with the program. All outstation employees participated in the function were accommodated in the hotel owned by AI subsidiary. AI deplores and condemns biased media reporting particularly when it is farthest from the truth. AI is also exploring to take up the issue to appropriate forum
