Honesty Not Best Policy

Senior officials of the AAI and experts in Air Traffic Control operations have exposed massive corruption involved in granting civil aviation permission for tall buildings.

Honesty Not Best Policy
Honesty Not Best Policy

I appeal every Indian to write to PM Modi asking him to give justice to the two honest officials of AAI. After all, they are fighting our battle.

 

The case of Mangala and her husband Narasimhan should shock the conscience of the nation. They are senior officials of the Airport Authority of India and experts in Air Traffic Control operations. They are whistleblowers who exposed massive corruption involved in granting civil aviation permission for tall buildings coming up in the flight paths of Mumbai airports. They said thousands of passengers are landing and flying out of Mumbai airport daily and their lives cannot be compromised.

The builders’ lobby is so powerful that despite the HC ordering the demolition of illegal extensions to over 400 buildings, which endanger flight safety, neither the BMC nor the Fadnavis govt has moved an inch in the matter.

They have been punished by the AAI, which is under Suresh Prabhu, by sacking Mangala. She is fighting a lone battle in Bombay HC. Narasimhan was suspended. When he successfully challenged it in the HC he was transferred to Calcutta. He is waging another legal battle against that. Every law and rule has been violated by AAI, with complete impunity. I wrote to PM Modi regarding this issue. Soon after that, I received a call from an AAI official in Delhi asking me not to take up their matter!!

Mangala and Narasimhan could have made crores of rupees by approving buildings in the vicinity of the airport. “Had done we done that we could not have slept. We would have had the blood of thousands of passengers on our hands in the event of plane crashes ” said Mangala with tears in her eyes.

The builders’ lobby is so powerful that despite the HC ordering the demolition of illegal extensions to over 400 buildings, which endanger flight safety, neither the BMC nor the Fadnavis govt has moved an inch in the matter. I have written to the International Civil Aviation Organization drawing its attention to the alarming violation of air safety norms in Mumbai airport and am awaiting its response.

I appeal every Indian to write to PM Modi asking him to give justice to the two honest officials of AAI. After all, they are fighting our battle.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

Advocate and Senior Journalist who was formerly City Editor & Chief of Bureau of The Times of India, Mumbai. He has also served in the MumbaiMunicipal Council.
S Balakrishnan
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1 COMMENT

  1. Sir, Pl send me the details ie. postal address/mail id and to whom the letter should be addressed so that I can write a letter.

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