Civil aviation security body transfers 26 senior officials
30 May 2011
New Delhi: In what is being touted as the biggest-ever reshuffle of personnel in the history of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), as many as 26 senior officials have been transferred out of Delhi. The action comes even as the country's scandal hit civil aviation bureaucracy undergoes a revamp.
The transfer orders are a result of revelations in mainstream media that relatives of atleast 15 BCAS officials were also holding lucrative jobs with private airlines or aviation-related companies. This raised issues of conflict of interest.
The BCAS is the aviation sector's security regulator, operating under the ministry of civil aviation, and as such has wide-ranging powers. Media exposes revealed how BCAS officials remained entrenched in the same positions for years.
This fuelled speculation that officials were serving vested interests.
A report in a national daily pointed out that BCAS deputy commissioner JS Rana's son worked with Delhi International Airport Limited, a private consortium that operates the airport, even as Rana himself remained in charge of security matters relating to the same airport.
Similarly, assistant commissioner CK Ranga handled matters relating to Kingfisher Airlines even as her husband worked with the carrier.
On publication of the report both were removed from their respective responsibilities and have now been transferred out of Delhi altogether.
