NEW DELHI: Seeking strong action by the government to rein in rising air ticket prices, opposition in Lok Sabha today charged the airlines with "looting" passengers as airfares remained high despite decline in jet fuel costs.Initiating the discussion on Demands for Grants for the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Congress leader K C Venugopal said airlines have not passed on the benefits of fall in fuel prices to passengers and added that private carriers were "looting" them.He said the price of ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) has come down resulting in huge benefits to airlines but still airfares have been going up and claimed that Air India has benefitted by over Rs 1,000 crore from fall in ATF prices.Maintaining that airlines have not passed on the benefits to passengers, the Congress leader said, private carriers are "looting".He said that air ticket prices were high in international air routes too, giving the example of Air India Express, the low cost carrier which operates a significant number of flights mainly connecting the Gulf and Kerala."What action is being taken for justice to the people," Venugopal asked and urged the government to take "strong action" to deal with exorbitant airfares."There is no justification for high air ticket prices... There is a need for an intervention from the (Civil Aviation) Ministry... There is need for strong action," he noted.TMC leader Saugata Roy also urged the government to rein in the rising airfares."I feel that the government should have a role in having some regulations" when air ticket prices go up and cited that during the recent Jat agitation, airfares rose for flights to and from Chandigarh.During holidays and festivals too, air fares goes through the roof, he noted.In the recent times, concerns have been expressed in various quarters about rising airfares despite fall in fuel prices, which account for over 40 per cent of a carrier's total operating costs.Venugopal said the Ministry has taken a stance not to intervene citing pricing regulations, but airfares have been rocketing.As he wondered whether such a stance was "a right thing", Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju , in a lighter vein, was heard saying "wrong".Criticising the government for reducing budgetary allocation to Air India, Venugopal said it would put the carrier in trouble and asked the government to earmark the maximum possible amount.Venugopal asked the Centre to expedite Kerala government's proposal to launch the carrier Air Kerala that would mainly cater to people from the state living in Gulf countries.The state government wants to invest in the airline and was awaiting consensus from the Centre. A cabinet note in this regard was even circulated during the previous UPA rule but could not go forward as elections were announced by that time, Venugopal, who hails from Kerala, said.He also cited various incidents like those involving cabin crew and one pilot and said such things would not help Air India and action needs to be taken, Venugopal said even as he appreciated the efforts made by the carrier's current CMD.He also requested the government to shift the headquarters of Air India Express to Kochi in Kerala.On Tourism Ministry, Venugopal expressed disappointment saying many ongoing projects were stopped by the government while new ones are not taking off.He noted that with the government cutting down funding for the initiative PIDDC (Project/Infrastructure Development for Destination and Circuits), many initiatives have been hit. PIDDC was started during the UPA regime. "Government is a continuation... why this discrimination," he wondered.Regarding Kerala, Venugopal said certain announcements made have not been fulfilled. "How can you punish a state that has huge tourism potential?," he noted.BJP's Dushyant Singh sought to put the onus on the previous UPA governments for the financial problems faced by Air India.Countering criticism that allocation to the national carrier has been reduced, Singh said Air India placed orders for new aircraft during the previous regime despite fall in market share.The Empowered Group of Ministers, under then Union Minister P Chidambaram, had approved placing orders for new aircraft, he said.