Assistant SG wants free luxury service for sister on Qantas

New Delhi: Not the least deterred by the thought that he may be misusing his official position, a law officer in Ahmedabad not only asked for an upgrade and preferential treatment for his sister travelling on Qantas from Mumbai to Sydney, he even put down the "request" in writing.
Assistant solicitor general Dhaval G Nanavati, a law officer working for the UPA government in Ahmedabad, wanted his sister, who is scheduled to fly Qantas (flight No. QF124) from Mumbai to Sydney on March 27, to have a comfortable journey on the long flight to Australia
, where she is migrating permanently.
He shot off an official letter to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asking it to "instruct and request" Jet Airways and Qantas Airlines (who have a tie-up) to allow his sister to carry excess baggage without charge, a free upgrade to business class, provision of special courtesies so that she does not face any inconvenience and to treat her as `Commercially Important Person' (CIP). What is also surprising is that DGCA even forwarded the letter to the carriers. Nanavati was not satisfied with just shooting off the letter, which came after his discussion with DGCA officials, but wanted the `Qantas people' to send him a confirmation about the arrangements that he had sought.
The unusual letter has left Qantas and Jet Airways officials perplexed and annoyed, but they are not willing to stick their neck out by reacting to such a letter despite knowing that in the hierarchy of the Centre's legal officers, Nanavati comes rather low.
Nanavati's letter, addressed to Dr S N A Zaidi, director general, DGCA, makes interesting reading as it gives an insight into the extent to which officials flex their muscles.
18/03/09 Dhananjay Mahapatra/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign Mar 2009, Jet Airways Mar 2009