CIC seeks details on Arvind Jadhav's removal as Air India chairman

India Today: New Delhi: Friday, November 16, 2012.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the government to disclose all details relating to the removal of Air India (AI) chairman and managing director (CMD) Arvind Jadhav in August 2011 and appointment of incumbent Rohit Nandan in response to an appeal by Right to Information (RTI) activist who was denied information stating that it was classified.

"Even if it is admitted that these documents constitute part of the papers which had been put up before the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), the decision of the ACC has already been implemented; the then-CMD of Air India has been reverted and a new incumbent appointed in his place," chief information commissioner Satyananda Mishra said after hearing the government and the appellant, Subhash Chandra Agarwal.

"The above provision clearly stipulates that while, ordinarily, the Cabinet papers would not be disclosed, the basis on which the Cabinet decision is taken, including the documents placed before the Cabinet for this purpose, must be disclosed once the decision is taken and completely implemented."

The CIC ordered that "after weighing the submissions and arguments made before us, we are of the view that the desired document should be disclosed".

Agarwal had appealed to the CIC saying that the government had not provided "any information on the ground that the desired records constituted Cabinet papers and therefore could not be disclosed".

The CIC directed that Agarwal be provided "the relevant records which constituted the grounds for the government decision to revert the then-CMD of the Air India and appoint someone else in his place" within 10 working days.

In mid-August last year, the government decided to replace Jadhav and handed over interim charge to Nandan, who was joint secretary in the civil aviation ministry. Subsequently, Nandan was made the permanent CMD.

It was alleged that Jadhav's leadership had alienated employees. Jadhav, who was appointed in May 2009 for three years, was empanelled as secretary to the government of India. The civil aviation ministry had been contemplating the move since 2010.