Sun TV, which is run by Union Communications Minister Dayanandhi Maran’s brother, Kalanidhi, applied last December for the import of two expensive planes. One is a brand new Bombardier Challenger 605 and the other a second-hand Bombardier Challenger 604. The total cost of the two planes is a whopping Rs 236 crore. The Directorate of Foreign Trade sanctioned an import licence for the purchase of the aircraft in less than a month. The DMK’s political rivals hint darkly that the Sun TV group is now thinking in terms of setting up an airline. The large business jets with cutting-edge technology are not exactly passenger planes, but they do indicate the profitability of the Sun group. Probably no other Indian political party can think of purchasing such aircraft for the personal use of its leaders.

Informal collegium

The government’s policy was to allow central ministers to pick their own senior officers at the secretary and additional secretary level from the available pool. But now an informal collegium has sprung up to vet senior-level posts in key ministries. The minister, if he is from the Congress, has to sound out his choice with Congress political secretary, Ahmed Patel, party treasurer, Motilal Vohra and Union Minister of State for Personnel, Suresh Pachauri, before the name is sent to the cabinet committee on appointments — comprising the prime minister, the union home minister, and the minister seeking senior officials. But this committee merely acts as a rubber stamp to ratify the appointment.

... contd.