Telugu Desam Party MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Thursday assumed the charge of Civil Aviation Minister, succeeding Jyotiraditya Scindia in the new Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
The 36-year-old three-time MP is the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Modi 3.0 government.
"I am feeling extremely happy to be given this responsibility of leading a very important ministry, not only in the country but also in the entire world. First of all, I would like to thank TDP (Telugu Desam Party) chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu for giving me the opportunity to join the Cabinet and PM Modi for assigning me this ministry," he said.
Naidu further said that one of the most important priorities will be to create an "ease of flying" scenario in civil aviation as air travel is becoming more and more approachable to the common man, and that has always been the motto of this government.
"...we will make civil aviation or the air travel in this country more approachable to the common man of this country, and more easily accessible...I'm stressing the word ease of flying, let it be, in the sense of the comfort, or the convenience or the safety, security, whatever aspects it comes regarding the passenger that is choosing air travel, we would make him the core of whatever planning or thought process we are going through today," the new minister said.
He also said he would like to prepare a 100-day action plan for the ministry, a "wonderful suggestion" from Prime Minister Modi.
On a question related to high air ticket prices, the minister said, "I am going to hold review meetings. Definitely, my intention would be to bring down the (ticket) prices because that is a challenge for the common man. Our intention is to take air travel to the common man, unless you make it affordable, it is not going to happen," the minister said".
The minister also emphasised that under the leadership of Modi, the NDA alliance is very stable, and all the alliance partners are very happy with their roles and responsibilities.
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