Tata Sons on Friday declared establishing a public charitable trust for the victims of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which claimed 260 lives.
Trust Named in Memory of AI-171 Victims
“The Trust will be called ‘The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust’, dedicated to the victims of the unfortunate accident of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad,” Tata Sons said in a statement.
It stated the memorial trust, which will be registered in Mumbai, will provide instant and ongoing assistance to the dependents and next-of-kin of the deceased, people injured in the accident, and to all other individuals directly or collaterally impacted by the accident.
Relief for First Responders and Support Staff
It would also offer assistance and support for the relief of any trauma or distress caused to “first responders, medical and disaster relief professionals, social workers and government staff who provided invaluable institutional support and service” following the accident.
The Trust will be administered and managed by a Board of Trustees comprising five members. The first two trustees to join the Board are S Padmanabhan, a retired Tata veteran and Sidharth Sharma, General Counsel of Tata Sons. The rest of the trustees will be appointed shortly.
Details of the Tragic Crash
The crash killed all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which is investigating the air crash, released a preliminary 15-page report on Saturday that said both the fuel switches were moved to the “cutoff” position moments after the aircraft left the tarmac. The aircraft, a Boeing 787, experienced an engine stall just three seconds after takeoff.
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran had announced immediately after the accident that the group would donate ₹1 crore to the victims’ families and assist in the construction of the medical college hostel, which was damaged in the crash.
Friday’s announcement reaffirmed that commitment.
Philanthropic Allocation and Objectives
“Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have together pledged to contribute Rs. 500 crores (with both committing Rs. 250 crores each) for the Trust’s philanthropic objects, which will include ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1 crore for those deceased, medical treatment of those who suffered serious injuries, and support for rebuilding the B.J. Medical College hostel infrastructure which was damaged in the accident.
The announcement stated that the Trust will get down to work after registration with the tax department and other operational procedures.
