PMO overrules Ashok Gajapathi Raju pick for key ICAO post

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has over-ruled civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju’s recommendation on the prestigious appointment of the Representative of India on the council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation based in Montreal, Canada. Documents accessed by this newspaper show that civil aviation minister Mr Raju had proposed the name of Telangana-cadre 1991 batch IAS officer G. Asok Kumar — who was a joint secretary in the ministry till recently — for the foreign posting but the appointments committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Modi, opted last week to instead appoint Alok Shekhar, an IAS officer of the 1994 batch (three batches junior to Mr Kumar) to the prized post. In fact, Mr Kumar’s candidature had been cleared both by the civil aviation ministry and the foreign service board of the ministry of external affairs but he still lost the race due to the ACC decision.

In a communication dated August 13, 2015 to the department of personnel and training, the civil aviation ministry stated, “... The hon’ble minister of civil aviation has approved the name of G. Asok Kumar, IAS, (Telangana cadre): 1991 (batch) for the post of Representative of India on the Council of International Civil Aviation Organisation, Montreal. ... DoPT is requested to obtain the necessary approval of ACC with regard to the appointment of Mr. G. Asok Kumar on the post of RoI, ICAO, and convey the same to this ministry.”

The foreign service board of the ministry of external affairs also approved the proposed appointment of Mr Kumar. In a communication dated September 4, 2015 to the DoPT, the MEA’s FSB wrote, “The foreign service has approved the appointment of G. Asok Kumar, IAS, (Telangana-91) as Representative of India in the Council of ICAO, Montreal, Canada, with diplomatic rank of minister to M. G. Kumar for the period of his deputation as RoI in the Council of ICAO. Mr G. Asok Kumar would be entitled to all allowances including Representational Grant as entitled to an officer of minister rank in the high commission of India, Ottawa.”

But in an order to the civil aviation ministry on October 28, the DoPT stated, “The appointments committee of the cabinet has approved the appointment of Alok Shekhar, IAS, (Punjab (cadre): 1994 batch) for the post of Representative of India in the Council of ICAO, Montreal, Canada under the ministry of civil aviation for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders whichever is earlier ...”.

Mr Shekhar will succeed Prashant Sukul, an Indian Defence Accounts Service of the 1982 batch in the post. Mr Shekhar was, till now, an official in the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority.