Civil aviation head likely to get another extension

New Delhi: The director general of civil aviation (DGCA) is likely to get yet another extension because the concerned ministry and government departments have once again been unable to find a suitable candidate to take over the most critical function in civil aviation.
Kanu Gohain’s current term was scheduled to end on June 30 but official sources confirmed to DNA Money that civil aviation minister Praful Patel has already cleared another three-month extension for him.
In effect, Gohain has been serving as the DGCA on borrowed time for more than a year now.
The Union Public Service Commission put out an advertisement some months back for the new post but was unable to choose a suitable candidate since it wanted a PSU employee — one from either Air India or Indian Airlines. Then, the advertisement itself was withdrawn and issued anew.
After that, the ministry proposed an IAS officer, Naseem Zaidi, for the post. Zaidi is India’s representative at the ICAW, but he did not have the 12-year experience needed in civil aviation to be eligible for the DGCA’s post.
Gohain’s second-in-command - joint director general A K Chopra - has not completed the mandatory two years in this position to be eligible for elevation.
Now, either the government will have to relax norms for the new DGCA or wait for Gohain’s juniors to become eligible before beginning the search again.
24/06/08 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jun 2008