Nobody knows what perks AI bosses get!

Air India's general manager (finance), who should be in the thick of company's financial matters, does not have information about pay and perks of the company's top bosses.

General Manager (Finance) A J D'Souza of National Aviation Company of India Limited -- the entity formed after the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines -- has said that details of pay, perks, privileges, facilities enjoyed by company's top brass were not available.

The reply comes on an RTI (Right To Information) application filed by activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal who sought the details pay, perks, privileges, facilities enjoyed by top honchos of cash-strapped Air India and Indian Airlines and the civil aviation minister.

"We tried our best to obtain the information sought by you but did not receive the same," D'Souza said in his reply.

As per the RTI Act, information sought cannot be denied unless it comes under exemption clauses listed in the Act. The information cannot be refused without giving any reasons justifying the denial.

Air India had earlier admitted that a chairman and managing director for some months got issued 121 free air-passes by virtue of including 'spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, son-in-law, daughter-in-law' in definition of family-members for purpose of free air-travel.

Besides seeking details of pays and privileges of AI top brass, Agrawal had also sought details of all the contracts and agreements by Air India or Indian Airlines terminated by them by paying damages or compensation to other party.

In his application, he cited examples in which Air India and Indian Airlines had to pay losses suffered by other party.

Air India had to suffer a loss of Rs 130 crore (Rs 1.30 billion) in 'CaribJet' scandal because of a law-firm drafting the agreement with CaribJet, accused of leasing defective planes to Air India.

Agrawal also sought to know the amount of loss to airlines in such cases. But D'Souza did not give any details and also did not cite any reasons for not giving the information, which is mandatory as per the RTI Act.

Agrawal had said in his appeal before higher authorities of the aviation company that the central public information officer, after seeking several extensions to provide information, did not provide information for reasons best known to him.