Sorake appointed Congress national secretary, Moily axed

March 5, 2011

Mangalore, March 5: Former Udupi MP and senior Congress leader of the coastal district Vinay Kumar Sorake has been made AICC secretary in the reshuffle of the Congress Working Committee.

Sorake, who entered political arena as a student leader with NSUI, has been asigned the task of overseeing party affairs in Orissa under party in-charge CWC member Jagdish Tytler.

A prominent leader from the Billava community, Sorake shot into the limelight in late 80s by becoming the MLA of Puthur at a very young age.

Sorake, in his new role, will also look after the affairs of the Congress Seva Dal.

The other major change after the CWC reshuffle is removal of Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily as a permanent invitee and party in charge of Andhra Pradesh.

The removal of Moily is being seen as a result of his failure to give proper inputs to the party as in charge of Andhra Pradesh on the handling of the Telangana issue where it is struggling to tide over the crisis. There were complaints against Moily that he was siding with Jagan Mohan Reddy and failed to rein the rebel Congress MP revolted against the party high command.

Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader C K Jaffer Sharief have been removed as members of the CWC. However, veteran leader and Gandhian M V Rajasekharan has found a place in the permanent invitee list in the CWC, the highest decision making body of the party.

Gandhi family loyalist Oscar Fernandes has been made General Secretary and elevated from existing permanent invitee to CWC member and will be in charge of AICC meetings, sessions, CWC and Central Election Committee and AICC departments.

Former Rajya Sabha member B K Hariprasad has been retained as CWC member and will be in charge of party affairs in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana while he was relieved of his job in Gujarat.

K B Krishnamurthy continued as AICC secretary this time too and has been attached to Union Health Minister and General Secretary Gulam Nabi Azad and made in charge secretary to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.

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Flight cancellations strand passengers overnight at Mangaluru Airport

News Network

December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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