New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Monday raised alarm over the state of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), alleging that the aviation regulator is “cracking under pressure” due to severe understaffing, underfunding, and lack of autonomy.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session, Chadha termed the situation within the DGCA a “crisis”, highlighting that 55 per cent of technical posts remain vacant in 2024.

“India’s civil aviation sector is booming, no doubt. But it appears that the regulator, the DGCA — which is the backbone of the sector — is cracking up under pressure. I say this because it is understaffed, underfunded, and lacks autonomy,” Chadha said.

Citing a parliamentary standing committee report, Chadha said, “In the year 2024, I am not talking about overall vacancies in technical posts; there is a 55 per cent vacancy in technical posts within DGCA.”

He stressed the critical nature of technical roles at DGCA, which include air safety inspections, pilot licensing, passenger safety, aircraft maintenance, and airworthiness.

“There is no margin of error in the sky,” he warned.

He urged the government to convert DGCA into a fully autonomous statutory body, similar to SEBI in the financial sector or TRAI in telecom.

Chadha also sought an answer as to when the vacant technical posts would be filled.

Chadha’s remarks come in the wake of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash involving Air India flight 171, which killed 240 people. The crash, followed by a series of technical glitches across the aviation industry, has brought aviation safety and regulatory oversight under intense scrutiny.

In response, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that the DGCA is “not under any kind of pressure” and is “operating with utmost seriousness and professionalism”.

“All the requirements that are there that actually strengthen it according to the international civil aviation protocol,” he said.

The Union Minister also mentioned that the vacant posts Chadha flagged were “recently created”.

“When it comes to technical posts, one needs people with the right technical capabilities to be sitting on those posts. When one looks at that kind of experience and situation, then obviously, the pool, which is limited, makes it difficult to engage with these people. These are people who are having to regulate the safety, which is of prime importance,” he said, stressing that the “fundamental pillar” for the growth of the civil aviation sector has been the “safety and security of the people”.

He also mentioned that the ministry is making sure to take “the right people” onboard to fill up these posts.

Separately, in a post on X, Chadha, ahead of the Monsoon Session, also reiterated his commitment to represent public concerns in Parliament.

“I had sought your inputs for the issues you’d like me to raise in this Parliament session. Humbled by the overwhelming response. I will do my best to make your voice heard in the House,” he said.

–IANSs

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