'Missing' DGCA note said safety a worry in Kingfisher Airlines

July 21, 2012

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New Delhi, July 21: Bharat Bhushan's purported note on Kingfisher filed on July 9 — a day before he was summarily removed as director general of civil aviation — could have meant serious trouble for the beleaguered airline.

Accessed by TOI on Friday, the note reads: "The (airline's) financial condition continues to be precarious... In the course of its audit several engineering issues are emerging which have a direct bearing on safety... it is concluded that safety is likely to be compromised if the airline continues in its current functioning style."

The aviation ministry and the new director general, Prashant Sukul, vehemently deny that any such note exists, though Bhushan attached a copy of this purported note in his letter to the ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking a probe if the paper had indeed gone missing.

Indicating that action against the airline was being considered, the disputed note goes on to add, "a notice may be served on the airline... asking them to immediately arrange for payment of its employees and creditors... we may be constrained to suspend their operations if funds are not made available and liabilities reduced significantly within 15 days of the receipt of this notice."

DGCA: No records exist of Bhushan's Kingfisher note

Former DGCA Bharat Bhushan did not comment when asked to confirm the contents of the controversial note he had written on Kingfisher Airline's poor financial condition.

Late Friday night, new director general Prashant Sukul submitted a report to aviation secretary Nasim Zaidi after a search operation in the DGCA for the allegedly missing papers from the Kingfisher file.

"Bhushan's allegation seems to be an afterthought and no evidence has been found of the note ever having existed," a highly placed source who was privy to Sukul's report said.

"All sections of the DGCA were asked to conduct a search that did not yield anything. The report has concluded that there is no such paper and if there is one, it may only be in possession of the former DG as no records exist here."

With Sukul throwing his hands up, the ministry is set to ask Bhushan to hand over a copy of the file that he alleges has gone missing.

"A printout of a note - that could have been filed anytime - will not do. If there is an official file on which such noting was made, then the same should be given either in original or a photocopy.

An unsigned printout being shown as the note has no meaning as it could have been written anytime, anywhere, said the source. Questions on the alleged Kingfisher note arose as the timing of Bhushan's exit triggered suspicions.

The ministry maintains that Bhushan was removed in a hurry as the PM-headed appointments committee of the cabinet had given him extension till December while the ministry had sought senior IAS officer Arun Mishra to be made full-time director-general.

"The Cabinet secretariat goofed up big time. This entire issue has arisen because of their mishandling," said a source.

The ministry has steadfastly denied any link between Bhushan's removal and its stand on Kingfisher Airlines. Sources said aviation minister Ajit Singh had told Vijay Mallya clearly to shut Kingfisher if he couldn't raise funds to run the airline.

Excerpts from Bhushan's purported note

"We have been closely monitoring the operations of M/s. Kingfisher Airlines from November, 2011 onwards. During the period there has been significant reduction in fleet numbers as well as number of operational aircraft... Pilot strength has reduced to less than 50%... The financial condition continues to be precarious.. They (airline management) have promised a recovery plan every time they met us, but this has not happened even after passage of several months... In the course of its audit several engineering issues are emerging which have a direct bearing on safety... Under the circumstances, it is concluded that safety is likely to be compromised if the airline continues in its current functioning style. A notice may be served on the airline indicating the background and asking them to immediately arrange for payment of its employees and creditors, if not in full at least to a substantial part. It may be indicated that we may be constrained to suspend their operations if funds are not made available and liabilities reduced significantly within 15 days of the receipt of this notice."


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News Network
June 23,2020

New Delhi, Jun 23: The meeting between Indian Army's 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart got over after around 11 hours, sources said.

"Today's meeting between the Corps Commander-level officers of India and China is over. The meeting which started at 11:30 am went on for around 11 hours. More details awaited," sources said.

The meeting started at around 11:30 am at Moldo on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) opposite Chushul to defuse the tensions in Eastern Ladakh sector due to Chinese military build-up, the sources said.

This is the second meeting between the two corps commanders. They had met on June 6 and had agreed to disengage at multiple locations. India had asked the Chinese side to go back to pre-May 4 military positions along the LAC.

The Chinese side had not given any response to the Indian proposal and not even shown intent on the ground to withdraw troops from rear positions where they have amassed over 10,000 troops.

India is also likely to discuss the change in rules of engagement on the LAC where the forces have been empowered to use firearms in extraordinary circumstances, sources had said.

They said India will also ask China to honour the commitment given during June 6 talks to disengage in the Galwan valley completely and other places.

The build-up of Chinese air assets including strategic bombers by the PLA Air Force in fields near Indian territory close to Ladakh is also likely to figure in discussions.

India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month.

However, last week as many as 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in the face-off in the Galwan Valley after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash.

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News Network
February 29,2020

Feb 29: The "Dadi of Shaheenbagh" on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not understand the pain of losing children, as speakers at an anti-CAA rally here called on protesters to maintain peace and not give in to any provocation.

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said that the battle is not for a day or two, but the protesters will have to be prepared to continue it for years to come.

Asma Khatoon, who has earned fame as the "Dadi of Shaheenbagh" in Delhi, asked how can a person take care of the whole country when he cannot maintain his own family.

"He would have realised how it feels to lose a child if he had his own children," she told a gathering at the Park Circus Maidan, which is being termed as the Shaheenbagh of Kolkata with women holding a sit-in for the last 53 days to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, proposed nationwide NRC, and the NPR.

The death toll Delhi's communal violence has gone up to 42.

She said it is not biryani that has attracted women to the protest at Shaheen bagh while holding that such vilification campaigns will have no effect on the agitation.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh has claimed that "uneducated men and women" are protesting at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and Kolkata's Park Circus as they get money and biryani purchased with foreign funds.

"Home Minister Amit Shah has called 20 protesters to meet him, but I want to tell him that we are one lakh and I want him to mention the place where he wants us to go for the meeting," she said.

Tushar Gandhi said, "People should stay united and not give in to any provocation," he said.

Gandhi said that the people of West Bengal are lucky to have Mamata Banerjee as their chief minister.

"They will try to break her also and it is necessary that you continue to give her support," he said.

Gandhi claimed that no one can harm a country where its mothers and sisters come out to save it.

He claimed that the CAA is not about Hindus or Muslims, but will really affect the poor people, who will be made to run around to get their papers instead of earning for their basic and daily needs.

"It's a dichotomous government that we have at the Centre. On the one hand, they want us to provide documents to prove our citizenship, while on the other they refuse to accept the papers that one produces before it for the purpose," he said.

He claimed that the government is forcing its people to resort to lies and declare that they are political refugees from countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Gandhi claimed that time and again documents with the government like electoral rolls and land documents have been used to identify people of certain communities during riots.

"So it is dangerous to give too much information to the government," he said.

He called on the people to have faith in non-violence and asked them to maintain peace and harmony.

B R Ambedkar's great-grandson Rajratna Ambedkar claimed that it is the Adivasis who will also be affected by the CAA.

"I want to tell Modi and Shah that the country runs on the Constitution by Ambedkar and not M S Golwalkar (of RSS)," he said, adding that because of the rights conferred on people by the Constitution, those backward people who did not have the right to sit on a bullock cart are now flying jet planes.

He said that Modi and Shah committed an error by enacting the CAA as it has turned the people of the country into Indians only, instead of Hindus, Muslims, Christians or Sikhs.

"Every machinery of the country has been taken control of by the RSS. If one Modi or one Shah goes, they will bring in several more Modi or Shah," he said.

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News Network
April 9,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 9: The Kerala government has set up five COVID-19 helpdesks for non-resident Keralites in countries which have a substantial number of Pravasi Malayalis.

Addressing a press conference here Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said: "In order to address the concerns and issues faced by the non-resident Keralites, we have set up five dedicated COVID helpdesks in countries where we have a substantial number of Pravasi Malayalis."

The helpdesks started by Norka Roots will be managed locally by persons and voluntary organisations active among non-resident Keralites. The Kerala government has requested the Indian Ambassadors in various places to cooperate with these helpdesks.

The Chief Minister also informed that online medical services would be made available to the non-resident Keralites through the Norka Roots website.

"Pravasi Malayalis can consult prominent doctors in Kerala by audio or video calls through the website, with prior registration. The services of various speciality doctors will be available from 2 pm to 6 pm IST," he said.

Currently, registration for the Norka Pravasi ID card is only available for the Malayali expatriates residing or working abroad for a period of not less than six months. "Now students from Kerala studying abroad can also avail this facility. The overseas student registration service would enable them to get Insurance benefits and discounts on flight tickets. This registration will be mandatory for all students presently studying abroad as well as for those going abroad, from now on," Vijayan said.

The Pravasi ID card is a multi-purpose photo identity card that entitles every non-resident Keralite to avail all services and facilities offered by Norka Root. The card comes with an add-on Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) coverage. Two prominent airlines are offering a discount on the base fare for air tickets booked by Norka Id card holders. 

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