HYDERABAD: The saga of the crash of the helicopter carrying Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is getting curiouser and curiouser with records accessed by TOI showing that the pilot, Group Captain S K Bhatia, had in the past contravened flight manuals and had been issued memos for "poor professional performance".
On January 16, 2009, a flight carrying the Dalai Lama and piloted by Bhatia developed a snag. But in contravention of the flight manual, the captain carried on.
On another occasion, with Rajasekhara Reddy on flight,"the actions of the pilot caused embarassment to the passengers and appeared to compromise VVIP safety and on a specific direction from the chief minister's office, a memo was issued to the captain seeking his explanation on his poor-professional experience", reads an official record of the AP Aviation Corporation, which operated the choppers for the Andhra Pradesh government for carrying VVIPs. "In the Air Force if he had contravened flight manual recommendations, he could have been chargesheeted," retired fighter pilot Wing Commander A K L Saxena told TOI.
Incidentally, these facts about the performance of the now deceased pilot were part of the letter written by the managing director of AP Aviation Corporation K V Brahmananda Reddy on May 27, 2009, seeking repatriation of the pilot back to the Air Force on completion of his extended tenure with the AP government. At a rapid speed traversing the normal official channels, the letter reached the chief minister's office within a few days but curiously enough, not agreeing with the recommendations, Rajasekhara Reddy instructed: "Write to GOI immediately for one-year extension." The chief minister signed the note on June 5, 2009. The IAF is not known to have extended his term, maintaining a silence instead. Earlier on December 30, 2008, Air Force officials had written that no extension for the pilot beyond June 4, 2009, was feasible and that he would have to be reverted on that date.
What is foxing top government officials is why YSR pressed for extension for the pilot whose record in the AP government was certainly nothing to write home about. Was it that the pilot had gained proximity to YSR while flying him regularly and begged and pleaded with the chief minister himself? And the CM being a generous man acceded to this plea? Or was it that the pilot had friends in the officialdom whom presented the file to the chief minister's office in such a manner that the entire facts were lost in the long note that had various annexures? These are questions doing the rounds of the top bureacracy.
Interestingly the note from the AP Aviation Corporation also said that Group Captain Bhatia, who had been with the state government from December 2006, had been sent on training to Flight Safety International at Textron in the US. And there he was constantly "exceeding operating limits". "This means that the pilot was exceeding the tolerance level of the helicopter, which means that he was jeopardising the safety parameters," Wing Commander A K L Saxena said.
The note from the AP Aviation Corporation also alleged that in one particular instance Bhatia refused to undergo the mandatory pre-flight medical examination, which is a clear violation of civil aviation requirements issued by DGCA. "I find it strange that an Air Force officer used to strict discipline could be doing this," a serving group captain said.
Analysts pointed out that Air Force officers after years of flying in trying circumstances in zones of conflict seek a deputation in state governments. "The positions are few and frankly it requires a lot of string pulling. Such pliots get their salary from the Air Force with a 10% deputation allowance added. So the monetary compensation is nothing great," an Air Force officer said. He, however, pointed out that usually such pilots are able to slither their way into the good books and wangle other benefits like a free official car and official accommodation.
Reddy's chopper had developed tech fault early 2009
SHIMLA: The helicopter which crashed last week killing Y S R Reddy and four others on board had developed a technical fault while flying Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama early this year.
"While flying from Hyderabad to Gulbarge in Karnataka for a religious programme in the same Bell-430 chopper in January this year, the Dalai Lama was told by the pilot during flight that helicopter was experiencing technical problem," Samdhong Rinpoche, Prime Minister of Tibetan government- in-exile, said
But, luckily the pilot managed to land the chopper safely at the destination, he added.
Rinpoche said the officials of the Tibetan- government-in-exile had sought a helicopter for the Dalai Lama from a Chennai-based aviation company for journey to Gulbarga, but Chief Minister Reddy had offered the state-owned helicopter.
On his return journey , the 73-year-old Nobel laureate did not travel
in the helicopter and took another chopper, he said.
Rinpoche expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Reddy on September 2 after the same chopper crashed over Nallamala while flying to Chittor from Hyderabad.
Jet Airways to hold talks with pilots on Friday
NEW DELHI: Chief labour commissioner S K Mukhopadhyay will facilitate conciliation talks between the Jet Airways and its striking pilots here Friday. As the impasse continued for the third day running, the carrier was forced to cancel 230 flights.
"The conciliation talks with the chief labour commissioner will be held here tomorrow," Jet Airways executive director Saroj Datta told reporters after meeting the commissioner at Shram Shakti Bhavan, the labour ministry headquarters.
The meeting, initially slated to have been held Thursday, had to be postponed as representatives of the pilots had not turned up for the talks, Datta said.
The Jet management insists that the 600 pilots, who reported sick Tuesday and went on mass leave, should provide medical certificates. The pilots, on the other hand, say they would report to work only when pilots who had been sacked were taken back.
A contempt petition was filed against the striking pilots late Wednesday for defying the Bombay High Court ruling that asked them not to halt work.
According to a Jet Airways spokesperson, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud of the Bombay High Court has directed a contempt notice to be issued to the National Aviators Guild (NAG), of which the striking pilots are members. It will be heard here Monday.
"Everybody is against us," Girish Kaushik, president of the National Aviators Guild (NAG), an association of Jet Airways pilots who have gone on strike, told reporters in Mumbai Thursday.
"There is ESMA, court restrictions. I am afraid they would now impose TADA." he said referring to the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. "Are there no laws to save us? What have our boys done?".
In another development, Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal met Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge at Karnataka Bhawan in the capital Thursday.
"If there is a need of my ministry's intervention, we will do that," Kharge told reporters after the meeting.
The carrier's ground staff also appealed to the pilots to withdraw their agitation and "not put our future at risk".
"We are already going through recession. Our salaries will be delayed. The airline is already undergoing losses. The pilots cannot put our future at risk," customer care executive Jagjeet Kaur told reporters in Delhi.
Added Ashwani, a Jet Airways supervisor: "We appeal to the pilots to give up their agitation. Our airline is making losses and now due to the pilots' agitation, our revenue is going to other airlines. How will we get our salaries?"
The strike has caused nearly 700 flights to be cancelled since Tuesday and has inconvenienced over 28,000 passengers.
Onus on Pak to unveil Mumbai attack conspiracy: India
New Delhi: India put on Pakistan the onus of unveiling the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks and ruled out meaningful dialogue till concrete action is taken against those responsible.
The firm message was sent out by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna ahead of his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in New York later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
On the eve of the ministerial meeting, Foreign Secretaries Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir will meet to discuss the progress on investigation of the 26/11 attacks and prosecution of those arrested in connection with it.
"It is in our vital interest to normalise our relations with Pakistan. However, we are at a stage where it is for Pakistan to determine the kind of relationship that it wants to have with India," Krishna said while addressing the Editors Guild in New Delhi.
Talking about the Mumbai attacks, he said it was launched from Pakistan and the conspiracy was hatched there. "Clearly, the onus is on Pakistan to unveil the conspiracy," he said, adding India had sought to "assist" them in that task by providing vital evidence.
Stampede: Delhi Police registers case of negligence against school
New Delhi: Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case of death due to negligence in connection with the stampede in a government school in north-east Delhi in which five girls were killed.
However, the FIR does not mention any names. Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said a case under Indian Penal Code Section 304(A) causing death by rash or negligent act and Section 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life) have been registered.
Asked why no one is named in the FIR, he said police's first priority is to ensure that the injured got better treatment and keep the law and order situation under control in the area.
"The case has been registered to facilitate further investigations," he said.
Five girls were killed and 27 of their co-students injured, six of them very critically, in the stampede in a Government school in North-East Delhi's Khajuri Khas this morning.
Indian Business News
'Financial stability a challenge for RBI'
Mumbai: India's rapid integration with the rest of the world could pose complex challenges to its financial stability and the country would increasingly be exposed to the forces of globalisation, Reserve Bank Governor, D Subbarao said on Thursday.
"We cannot be globalising and at the same time expect to remain decoupled... If financial stability anywhere in the world is jeopardised, our financial stability will become vulnerable too," Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao said at a FICCI-IBA Seminar here.
The apex bank is 'retooling itself to safeguard financial stability' and has set up a multi-disciplinary Financial Stability Unit, which would put out regular stability reports, Subbarao said.
The report will present an overall unified assessment of the health of the financial system with an analysis of potential risks to systemic stability, the Governor said, adding that the apex bank plans to come with the first report in the next few months.
Despite the 'cataclysmic' crisis, India's financial sector remained safe and sound, Subbarao said, adding, that the country would not slow down on reforms, but would surely rework the road map to reflect lessons of the crisis.
"There is a concern in some quarters that the crisis may have dented enthusiasm for financial sector reforms. I believe that concern is misplaced. We will not slowdown...but will surely rework the road map," Subbarao said.
Home loan: Consumers can save up to Rs 10k on EMIs
New Delhi: Home loan seekers can save up to Rs 10,000 on their monthly repayments for one year as the government on Thursday approved one per cent interest subsidy for houses that cost less than Rs 20 lakh.
Aimed at promoting low-cost housing, the subsidy will be available for loans up to Rs 10 lakh, provided the cost of the dwelling unit does not exceed Rs 20 lakhs, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Affairs Ambika Soni said after a meeting of the union cabinet which cleared the proposal of the Finance Ministry.
"It is expected that cut in interest rates should reduce Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) of borrowers and create additional demand for housing, particularly in the low cost category", she said, adding the scheme would cost the exchequer Rs 1,000 crore and benefit about 10 lakh borrowers.
Besides, she added, the move "in turn should stimulate demand in the construction industry as well as industries such as steel and cement having employment and income multiplier effect."
The cabinet approved the scheme for providing interest rate subsidy on houses in pursuance to an announcement made by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee while replying to the debate on the budget for 2009-10 in July.
Though the scheme would help loan borrowers in small cities, it would not be of much benefit to those looking for houses in metropolises like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore as the cost mostly exceed the threshold of Rs 20 lakh.
The subsidy scheme, Soni said, is aimed at arresting the deceleration in flow of credit to the housing sector which can be attributed to an increase in the price of houses, slackening of income growth and rise in interest rates.
Sensex closes up by 33 pts
MUMBAI: The benchmark Sensex on Thursday pared most of the gains it scored in the morning deals on profit booking but still managed to close the day higher by 30 points.
Marketmen said profit taking emerged taking cues from weak European indices which led Sensex losing most of the over 251 points it gained in the morning deals.
After swinging wildly on different cues from Asian and European bourses, the key index settled at 16,216.86, a rise of 0.21 per cent over its previous close.
Brokers attributed firm opening to positive Asian advices on the back of surge in US stocks on Wednesday.
They said sustained buying by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) kept the market upbeat at initial stages. FIIs has picked up shares worth Rs 2,417.96 crore in last three days since September 7, according to provisional data.
Besides Shanghai Composite index, other indices from Asia such as Hang Seng, Nikkei, Straits Times, Kospi and Taiwan Weighted ended up in the range of 1-2 per cent.
European markets after resuming firm were trading narrowly mixed with downward bias with investors were waiting the decision by the Bank of England on interest rates later in the day. France and UK were down while Germany was slightly up.
Fall in exports for the 11th straight month in August by 19.7 per cent due to continuing slump in global demand also put pressure on the market in later part of the day.
Meanwhile, inflation rose marginally to minus 0.12 per cent for the week ended August 29 from minus 0.21 per cent in the previous week.
I will not settle for a bronze this time: Vijender
New Delhi: He has ensured India's maiden World Boxing Championship medal but Vijender Singh on Thursday said the job is only half done and he would not settle for a bronze this time.
Talking ahead of his semifinal bout tomorrow, the middle weight (75kg) world number two said this time he is confident of bagging a medal whose colour is different from that he won at Beijing Olympics.
"The job is only half done because I am not going to settle for a bronze medal this time," the top seed, who takes on Uzbekistan's Abbos Atoev in the semifinals tomorrow after a rest day today, said from Milan.
The 23-year-old, who was awarded the Khel Ratna last month, said he is confident of a win tomorrow as he had beaten Atoev just a couple of months ago in the Asian Championships.
"This is the second time we would face each other and I am 100 per cent sure of making it 2-0. I am technically a better boxer than him. Besides, I have never feared my opponents not matter what their reputation is," he said.
"I believe in myself," Vijender, who has two bronze medals this year, one each at the European Grand Prix event in Czech Republic and Asian Championships, asserted.
If he makes it to the final, Vijender might come face to face with Venezuela's Alfonso Blanco, the man who beat him in the very first round of the previous World Championships. Vijender says he has revenge on mind.
"It's different this time. I was a greenhorn then but now I am an established name. If we face off, the result would be in my favour," Vijender said.
Karthik will open in Gambhir's absence, declares Dhoni
Colombo: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded on Thursday that the team will miss Gautam Gambhir and revealed Dinesh Karthik will don the opener's role in the ongoing Compaq Cup cricket tri-series in Colombo.
Gambhir will return home without playing a single match owing to a groin injury, which would mean India would miss both their regular openers since Virender Sehwag is also out of action following a shoulder surgery.
In such a scenario, Dhoni said Karthik would open the innings along with Sachin Tendulkar.
"Dinesh Karthik will open tomorrow because he is doing well in the net sessions also because and we do not have a replacement right now," Dhoni said on the eve of India's tournament opener.
"Dinesh has done that job in the West Indies and has done well for us in Test series also. Definitely he will open tomorrow," he said.
"Best opener Sachin Tendulkar is also there," he added. Dhoni said Gambhir picked up the injury during the BCCI Corporate Trophy but nothing could be done about that.
"I think it was during the corporate tournament (that he picked up the injury), if I am not wrong. But I think in the batting session it got aggravated," Dhoni said.
"So that is a big blow of course as he has really done well for us in the past one-and-half years", he said.
"You can take precautions against injury. You can train yourself not to get injured. But once you get an injury you cannot do much about it. So we are expecting he gets fit before the Champions Trophy and that we have a replacement," Dhoni said.
Paes on target for double celebration at US Open
New York: There is something about the bright lights and the razzmatazz of Flushing Meadows that brings out the 'A Game' in Leander Paes.
For the second year running, the former New York-based Indian rekindled his love affair with the US Open by advancing to two doubles finals in the city that never sleeps.
Paes punched away a volley to secure a 6-4 3-6 7-6 semi-final win with his partner Lukas Dlouhy to knock out top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan.
"This crowd is just magic, I hope you show up again," the 36-year-old Paes told the fans after raising his fists in triumph.
He made it through to the men's final less than 24 hours after reaching the mixed doubles showpiece with Zimbabwean Cara Black.
Twelve months ago Paes suffered mixed fortunes in the finals when he and Black went on to pick up the trophy but he faltered with Dlouhy in the men's doubles showpiece.
Paes will get his first chance to increase his tally of nine grand slam crowns Thursday when he and Black take on American duo Carly Gullickson and Travis Parrott in the mixed finale.
In the men's showpiece, he will face his former partner Mahesh Bhupathi after he and Mark Knowles beat Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram in the other semi 6-4 6-2.
"I love this city, I lived here for three and a half years and I love playing here," Mumbai-resident Paes told reporters.
NEW YORK ENERGY
"The energy of New York is what turns me on. My results in the last four years, getting to a slam final every year is something that's really wonderful.
Clijsters sets date with Serena, Murray dumped
New York: Kim Clijsters has kept her comeback on track, moving into the semi-finals of the US Open with a two-set victory over China’s Li Na. Clijsters is unseeded and making her first appearance at the Open since she won it in 2005. She defeated her 18th-seeded opponent 6-2 6-4 on Tuesday.
The Belgian is returning to tennis after taking two years off, during which she had a baby girl. She entered Flushing Meadows unranked because she hadn’t played enough matches in her comeback. She will rise to at least the low 50s on the strength of this run. Clijsters will face No 2 Serena Williams or No 10 Flavia Pennetta in the semi-finals.
Another Russian falls
Down a set against another much taller and much more experienced Russian opponent, Melanie Oudin had Nadia Petrova just where she wanted her. Or so it is beginning to seem at this US Open, where the 17-year-old Oudin has become a tennis star by producing comebacks and upsets on a round-by-round basis. “I don’t actually mean to lose the first set,” Oudin clarified on Monday after her 1-6 7-6 (2) 6-3 win.
But she clearly does have every intention of hustling and picking at her strings until she finds a way to win, and her surprising and deeply inspiring run through the draw has taken her all the way to her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
When it ended with a forehand winner, Oudin’s arms flew up and her racket kept going, leaving her grip and landing near the baseline as she walked to the net. She did not look quite as wide-eyed as when she had given Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova the same demoralising treatment in the previous two rounds. The “Believe” written on her tennis shoes looks ever more redundant. “Today, there are no tears, because I believed that I could do it,” she said.
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