DGCA row: CAT quashes babu’s appointment

New Delhi: The top aviation safety office of India — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — is in the midst of unprecedented uncertainty. Days before the current DG bows out of office and a successor takes over, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has quashed the aviation ministry’s selection process that led to the appointment of an IAS officer as the next head of this office.
Moving on a petition filed by joint DG A K Chopra, who was overlooked for the top post, CAT issued an order on Wednesday that also asked the ministry to consider him for selection to the DG’s office.
A senior aviation ministry official said the government is seeking legal opinion on this order. ‘‘There are options like appealing against this order or beginning the selection process anew by considering DGCA joint DGs for the post. A final decision will be taken shortly,’’ he said.
This major setback to the government has come at a time when the extended term of current DG Kanu Gohain, who retired last June, is ending this month-end. The ministry had selected an IAS officer, Naseem Zaidi, for this highly technical post by relaxing the rule that a generalist must have 12 years’ experience in aviation for being appointed as DG.
The advertisement inviting applications to this post had specifically asked DGCA officers not to apply for the same. The DGCA has joint DGs — A K Chopra and R P Sahi — who have spent decades handling aviation issues in the directorate. Chopra moved CAT against his being overlooked and now has got a ruling in his favour.
08/08/08 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2008