Jet appointment under cloud

Leading private airline Jet Airways has put on its board a director whose security clearance is still awaited, contrary to stipulated norms of Director General of Civil Aviation.

In reply to a query in Lok Sabha last week, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had said that while security clearance was accorded to four directors, including Vijay Kelkar, a former finance secretary, it was still awaited for Sam G Pitroda.

The company had sought security clearance after inducting certain individuals on its board of directors, Patel said in a written reply.

As per the stipulated norms on appointment of a director by an airline, security clearance is "required to be obtained from the ministry of home affairs before grant of an operating permit.

"Sometimes the operators change the board of directors and appoint some new directors. Security clearance for the new directors is also necessary before they could be appointed on the board of the operators," according to a DGCA circular.

When contacted, a spokesperson of Jet Airways did not take any queries on the appointment of a director without security clearance saying, "I would not comment on this."

According to the offer document, released by Jet for its initial public offer in February, Pitroda was appointed a director of the company on December 21, 2004. A day before the appointment, the company made a request to the government for his security clearance.

Jet Airways had sought security clearance of Chales A Adams in November 2003, P R S Oberoi in June 2004, Aman Mehta in October 2004 and Vijay Kelkar in November 2004, according to Patel.

The minister, however, clarified that no investigation had been conducted by the ministry of civil aviation against Jet Airways during the last three years.