BRS-nominated aviation director continues to cling on to position

Hyderabad: Despite the Congress coming to power six months back, state aviation director V.N. Bharath Reddy is still clinging onto his office to which he was appointed in 2015 by then chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, given his proximity to the latter.

Bharath Reddy’s tenure was supposed to end with the change in government, which in this case was last December, as the position is traditionally coterminous with the ruling government.

Meanwhile, aviation industry insiders have expressed concerns over his qualifications and performance. Before his appointment to the high-profile post, Bharath Reddy worked in aircraft ground handling services, a role that some believe did not adequately prepare him for the serious responsibilities of a director.

An insider, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated, "As the director, he must handle all aviation activities of the state and improve the state’s potential in the sector. But he has not done anything in all these years.”

Incidentally, Bharath Reddy enjoyed a similar position in Andhra Pradesh government, thanks to his rapport with former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, with whom he was seen flying in chartered flights. However, as an aviation director, his contribution was limited to arranging flights of the two CMs and other VIPs though he was expected to play a bigger role in transforming the state into an aviation hub. "Because of his lack of enthusiasm and efforts, the proposed aviation hub is heading towards Nagpur," sources pointed out.

Incidentally, movement of private aircraft from Begumpet airport and the connivance of the ground handling staff belonging to a private agency came under the radar of central agencies investigating the Delhi liquor scam. The agencies have urged the concerned authorities to furnish log details of aircrafts following leads that a huge amount of cash had been transported in private jets from Begumpet.