Rajya Sabha: Issues Of Airfare Hikes, Urban Housing, Groundwater Decline Raised
The DGCA’s tariff monitoring unit, he said, is monitoring fares on 78 routes, while passenger complaints are addressed through the 24×7 passenger assistance control room and the Air Sewa portal.
Nellore: Rajya Sabha MP Beda Mastan Rao Yadav on Monday sought clarity from the central government on issues like rising the air ticket prices, the progress in urban housing schemes and the status of groundwater resources in the country.
Questioning the sharp increase in airfares, especially during peak seasons, the MP highlighted the adverse impact of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices on passengers.
In a written reply, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said ATF accounted for nearly 40–50 per cent of the airline operating costs, with state-level VAT also influencing ticket prices.
He said that while airfares were largely deregulated, the government imposed temporary price caps during emergencies, as during the Covid-19 epidemic, major religious events, or recent flight disruptions.
The DGCA’s tariff monitoring unit, he said, is monitoring fares on 78 routes, while passenger complaints are addressed through the 24×7 passenger assistance control room and the Air Sewa portal.
On affordable housing, Yadav sought details on implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-U 2.0.
Minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu informed the house that PMAY-U 2.0, launched on September 1, 2024, aimed to provide the needy some one crore additional houses over the next five years.
Nationwide, 122.28 lakh houses had been sanctioned, 114.84 lakh were under construction, and 97.02 lakh houses were completed. In Andhra Pradesh, over six lakh houses were completed in the last three years.
The minister acknowledged challenges such as land acquisition, rising construction costs and labour shortages.
The MP also raised the issue of groundwater depletion. In a reply, minister of state for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, said that after the 2025 monsoon, 72.55 per cent of the wells in critical and over-exploited areas recorded improved water levels.
He highlighted measures under the Atal Bhujal Yojana, covering 8,203 gram panchayats in seven states, along with real-time monitoring using remote sensing and GIS and recharge initiatives under Jal Shakti Abhiyan and Amrit Sarovar.
