Government removes AAI Chairman RK Srivastava

The government, in a sudden move, removed Airports Authority of India chairman R.K. Srivastava from his post, nearly 15 months after he was brought at the helm for a five-year term. A 1984-batch Jharkhand-cadre IAS officer, 58-year-old Mr Srivastava had taken charge in January 2014. According to news agency reports from Hyderabad — where top civil aviation ministry officials are attending the ongoing India Aviation Exhibition — minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma confirmed the move to replace the AAI chairman. Mr Srivastava is likely to be sent back to his parent cadre. The government’s move stunned aviation ministry officials. Apparently, Mr Srivastava too had travelled to Hyderabad for the event and was taken by surprise when he heard about his removal. Mr Sharma told PTI that the government will find a suitable replacement soon but did not give the reason for the decision to remove him. Speculation is rife that there may have been complaints about delayed file clearances and the overall functioning of the AAI.

But according to news agency reports, the move comes at a time when AAI has sought documents from its joint venture partners — GMR and GVK — for a CAG audit of the books of accounts of the Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Arun Kumar, who is presently Joint Secretary for airports in the Civil Aviation Ministry, is likely to be given additional charge of the post of AAI Chairman.

Srivastava took charge on January 2, 2015 and his appointment was announced by the government in December 2014. His tenure was for five years. AAI manages 125 airports, including 18 international aerodromes,

78 domestic ones and 26 civil enclaves at defence airfields. It also provides air navigation services. Set up under an Act of Parliament, AAI came into being in April 1995 by merging erstwhile National Airports Authority and International Airports Authority of India.