Committed to providing medical insurance to retired Air India staffers: Scindia tells Sena MP

The assurance was given by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Chaturvedi, who had written to the civil aviation minister on October 20 asking for medical insurance for retired Air India employees, including pilots, cabin crew, engineers, catering staff etc

In what could be a relief for thousands of retired Air India employees, the civil aviation ministry said that it is “committed” to providing medical insurance to retired personnel and that the matter would be ironed out after a discussion with the Union ministry of health.

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, in a response to the Sena MP on November 12, said that the government is “committed” to providing medical benefits. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The assurance was given by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Chaturvedi, who had written to the civil aviation minister on October 20 asking for mediclaim insurance for retired Air India employees, including pilots, cabin crew, engineers, catering staff etc.

The Sena MP, in the letter, said, that many retired employees, who had “devoted years of their lives to Air India are left without any concrete medical support”. “It saddens me to know that the retired employees do not have insurance benefits. With the divestment of Air India, this issue becomes more acute,” she wrote.

Scindia, in a response to the MP on November 12, said that the government is “committed” to providing medical benefits. “I have had the matter examined. I would like to inform you that the government is fully aware and committed to providing medical facilities to the retired employees of Air India. Modalities for the same are being worked out in consultation with the ministry of health and family welfare,” Scindia responded.

Reacting to the minister’s response, Chaturvedi tweeted that she was “heartened and happy to hear” from the minister that the civil aviation ministry and the health ministry are “working to resolve this.”