Ram Mohan Naidu faces his first test

A section of the roof at terminal 1 of the Delhi airport collapsed at 5 am on Friday morning leading to the death of one person and severe injuries to four people. Delhi has been experiencing torrential downpour since Thursday night.

This is the first major challenge that Ram Mohan Naidu is facing since taking over as the Union Civil Aviation Minister. 

The incident has gained international attention and sent shock waves across the nation since Delhi is the National Capital with VVIPs and VIPs, flying in and out on a regular basis.

Speaking to the media, Ram Mohan Naidu said, “We have announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakhs for the deceased and Rs 3 lakhs for the injured. 

They are being treated in hospital and we are ensuring they receive the best possible treatment.”

Stating that the structure that collapsed was built in 2009, Ram Mohan Naidu said that he has called for a thorough probe into the incident and has also called for an audit of all similar structures across the airports in the country.

Responding to a query on whether the operator of the Delhi airport, GMR would be held accountable, Ram Mohan Naidu said any kind of action would be taken only after the investigation report comes out.

The Opposition would be quick to seize on this issue in Parliament and in all fairness to Ram Mohan Naidu, he cannot be held responsible but what would engage everyone’s attention is how he responds to the accident and the subsequent steps taken by him.