TOURISM INDIA MARCH 2019 TOURISM INDIA MARCH 2019 | Page 21

Singh Rawat, Best Convention Centre
award to Vision Mahal Hotel and
Convention Centre Jabalpur, Best
Stand-alone Restaurant to Filfora
Bhopal, Best Civic Management City
(Municipal Corporation) to Gwalior
Municipal Corporation, Best Civic
Management City (Municipality) to
Chanderi, Best Civic Management City
(Municipal Council) to Bhedhaghat
and Best District Tourism Promotion
Council joint award to Mandla and
Gwalior.
The Best Tourist-friendly National
Park award will be given to Satpuda
Tiger Reserve, Best Tourist-friendly
tourist spot centre to Dadaji
Dhuniwala Darbar Khandwa and
Best Travel Writer/Blogger award to
Ghumo-Phiro sisters.
Madhya Pradesh is an important
state of Central India with an
enormous scope for tourism covering
heritage, wildlife, cultural, pilgrimage,
tribal, rural tourism etc. The sincere
efforts of Madhya Pradesh Tourism to
manifest such aspect of tourism to the
rest of the world so that tourists can
come and explore destinations, trace
the history, enjoy holidays and return
with beautiful memories is the USP of
the state.
ASHWANI LOHANI
RE-APPOINTED AS
AIR INDIA CMD
Ashwani Lohani returns
to the post of Chairman
and Managing Director
of Air India after 19 months since he
demitted office. He had earlier headed
the organisation for two years from
August 2015 to August 2017, during
which he helped pilot the organization
to a financial operating profit.
The Appointments Committee of
Mr.
the Cabinet has decided to re appoint
Mr. Lohani, who recently retired as
Chairman, Railway Board, as CMD of
Air India for a period of one year or
until further orders.
Mr. Lohani will replace Mr. Pradeep
Singh Kharola IAS, who has been
appointed as Secretary, Ministry of
Civil Aviation, Government of India.
Mr. Lohani’s appointment comes at a
time when the government has started
the process of divestment of Air India’s
ground handling agency, Air India Air
Transport Services Ltd.
It remains to be seen whether
Lohani, as CMD will allow that to
happen or whether he will succeed in
turning around the airline with him at
the helm.
Mr. Lohani’s first tenure in Air India
was from August 2015 to August
2017, during which he helped pilot the
organisation to a financial operating
profit.
Mr Lohani, 60, who is an officer
of the Indian Railway Service of
Mechanical Engineers (IRSME),
was appointed the Railway Board
chairman in August 2017 and retired in
December 2018.
One of his first decisions as Railway
Board chairman was to ban gifts and
ceremonial welcomes and farewells. He
is also the man behind Vande Bharat
Express (Train 18), India’s fastest train
that will have its inaugural run from
Delhi to Varanasi. It will be launched
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
February 15. As the Railways’ most
senior bureaucrat, Mr. Lohani brought
the prestigious bullet train to India.
As head of both — the Railways
as well as Air India — he was able to
bridge the gap between his office and
employees, using WhatsApp groups
mostly, say those who have worked
with him.
Mr. Lohani is one of the familiar
faces of India tourism industry and
was also served as the Chairman &
Managing Director of India Tourism
Development Corporation Ltd.
(ITDC) and Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Development Corporation Ltd.
(MPTDC) as well as director of the
Rail Museum in New Delhi.
March 2019 Tourism India
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