Barely weeks after the storm over the out-of-turn promotions he granted on his last day in office at the National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL), the former chairman and managing director of the merged Air India-Indian Airlines, V. Thulasidas, is set to court another controversy for availing of post-retirement benefits that he was not only not eligible for but had also been barred by the Delhi High Court.According to records obtained by The Indian Express and airline sources, the former IAS officer has flown on at least 12 free tickets while his wife has done five of those free journeys with him — all on executive or business class, after he retired on March 31 when he is not entitled to free tickets. Thulasidas, who flew Indian to New Delhi from Mumbai on one of those free tickets today, is due to fly back on another free ticket on Tuesday, which would take the total number of free tickets used by the couple after his retirement to at least 18.Thulasidas, when contacted by The Indian Express and asked about this, declined to comment.For instance, according to a “Gratis Transportation” request made by Air India’s Commercial Manager for Western India on April 16, the Commercial Manager of NACIL was asked to provide “complimentary transportation” for “our staff” V. Thulasidas and his wife Girija Thulasidas to fly Mumbai-Delhi-Muscat-Mumbai in executive class on Indian.Further, under a reciprocal arrangement Air India has with private carrier Jet Airways — which allows some senior executives of the two airlines to fly free on each others’ flights — the couple flew Mumbai-London-Mumbai in premiere class on Jet, with the onward journey being made on May 18 and returned on May 25. Besides, he had flown Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai on two occasions and Mumbai-Trivandrum-Mumbai once, all on free tickets and in executive class, last month, sources said. Although the practice is said to be quite common among officers on deputation at other levels, no former CMD is known to have done this in the recent past, they added.While certain categories of permanent employees of the airline are eligible for such tickets, the Central government as well as the Delhi High Court order opposed this post-retirement perk to officials on deputation from other services such as the IAS, IPS or IRS as it could amount to double benefit as they also get similar benefits from their parent service.An Air India spokesman said: “Although I am not privy to his appointment letter, I am informed that as per the terms and conditions of his employment he is entitled to free tickets post retirement.” However, Thulasidas’s appointment letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Indian Express, makes no mention of this entitlement.The government position to not extend free tickets to officers deputed to the two airlines had been challenged in the Delhi High Court by P C Sen, an IAS officer who was chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines and Air India between 1994 and 1998, after his retirement from the IAS in 2003.But the court dismissed the petition in 2006 saying “the terms of IAS officers do not admit of free air passage after repatriation/resignation/retirement”.“I am of the opinion that consistent with the position in law that such deputationists cannot claim rights over service conditions which are not primarily applicable to them and also consistent with the policy and guidelines of the Central Government that the conditions primarily applicable to the substantive service of such employees would prevail, appropriate directions are called for to ensure that henceforth, such benefits are not extended,” Justice Ravindra Bhat had said.
