Civil Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju cracks down on nepotism

New Delhi, Jun 15: Days after taking over the reins of the ministry,

is learnt to have objected to the

of relatives of several officials in the

sector and asked all departments to come out with details.

In one of his first directives, Raju has asked heads of Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Air India, Airports Authority of India, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy to furnish details regarding relatives of their staff working in organisations connected with the aviation sector, official sources said.

He is understood to have told the chiefs of all these organisations that a serious view would be taken on the matter if the laid-down guidelines and norms are found to be violated.

In his directive, Raju's office has said the Minister has observed that relatives of some of the officials working in the ministry, its subordinates offices and public sector units under the ministry were taking up jobs with organisations connected with the civil aviation sector "without obtaining prior approval of the competent authorities, in violation of the existing rules".

Raju has also directed the heads of all bodies under him to ask all their officers and staffers to follow the guidelines scrupulously, the minister's office communication said. Relatives of a large number of employees have been working with various private firms, including airlines.

Earlier there have been controversy over some DGCA officials' kin working with private carriers and aviation-related firms.

PTI