'Furious' Ajit Singh expelled DGCA chief
New Delhi, July 11 : E K Bharat Bhushan's abrupt removal as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief comes on account of a 'furious' civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh, media reports said Wednesday.
The removal came exactly a week after his tenure was extended by the appointments committee of cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as Ajit Singh was furious with the one-year extension given to Bhushan, reports said.
Hinting at an even greater sense of acrimony, the 57-year-old Bhusan came to know of the order only when his successor, Prashant Sukul, joint secretary in the ministry, came to take charge, reports citing unnamed sources said.
It is also worth noting that Bhushans removal came just days after he signed a scathing letter calling for the closure of Kingsfisher Airlines unless the debt-laden carrier controlled by flamboyant liquor baron Vijay Mallya cleared employees dues.
In the past, Bhushan, who has often been noted for his attempts at confronting corruption in the aviation sector, has also voiced dissent against Air India and asserted that an airline with a demotivated workforce is a recipe for disaster.