PMO backs AI chief against vigilance chief

Meanwhile, the corridors of the Aviation Ministry at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan are abuzz at the slight to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Sharad Yadav who is believed to be close to Sagar. Says a senior official wryly: “This is a clear snub to Yadav who has been trying to derail disinvestment in AI by gunning for Mascrenhas through Sagar.”

Sagar’s battle with Mascarenhas made it to national headlines some weeks ago, when he recommended that the AI chief be placed under `immediate suspension’. What’s interesting is that even before the ministry of civil aviation’s own chief vigilance officer examined the charges, a somewhat over-anxious Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav told The Indian Express that he would place Mascarenhas under suspension if the ministry’s report indicted him.

Sagar had accused Mascarenhas benefitting the AI London, general sales agent Welcome Travels by paying excess commission of around Rs three crores. The charge-sheet says that Mascrenhas approved the payment of excess productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) over a period of three years.

Even in the case of the charge-sheet against Mascrenhas Sagar was pulled up by the Chief Vigilance Officer in the ministry, Sunil Arora for reccomending Mascrenhas’s “immediate suspension”. Arora is believed to to have have told Sagar that he exceeded his brief since it was for the ministry to reccomend action against Mascrenhas.

Sources say that Mascrenhas has in a lengthy reply running in to over 50 pages has questioned the very basis of the charge-sheet against him saying that under the guidelines of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Sagar was not empowered to conduct a inquiry against him. He is said to have accused Sagar of bias since he had forwarded vigilance complaints against him to the ministry.