Drukair Chief Stands Down
April 13, 2008-Thimphu: Druk Air Managing Director Sangay Tenzin stood down from the post citing moral responsibility after two of the airline’s pilots left for better opportunity abroad.
Sangay Tenzin handed over his resignation to the Board of Directors on March 28 during an emergency meeting held to discuss about the two pilots. The board then forwarded the resignation to the Royal Civil Service Commission.
Sangay Tenzin said he put in his resignation after he received a letter from the board chairman accusing him of mismanagement. Among others, the managing director was accused of not being able to retain the two pilots and scheduling the flights during wind curfew.
The managing director said that the flights were scheduled after the wind curfew that ends at 5 pm. “We never compromised on safety,” he said, adding safety measures have in fact improved compared to the past.
Sangay Tenzin said the blame was unexpected. “But I took it and chose to resign on moral grounds.”
According to sources, board members didn’t want the managing director to resign and the chairman had promised the board the resignation submitted by Sangay Tenzin would not be accepted.
The managing director said he waited till April 1 for response from the board but there was none. And on the same day he put in his resignation. Later he was called by the Druk Holdings and Investment chairman, former minister Om Pradhan, who asked him to withdraw the resignation.
“But I held on to my decision to resign,” Sangay Tenzin said. “One should enjoy the trust and faith of the government; if not there was no reason to hang on. No individual is important. The company has to do well and make progress. For the last three years I gave my best, and if my best is not up to the expectations I would become an obstacle to the company. That is why I thought it would be better if I step down,” said Sangay Tenzin.
He added the pilots accusing him of favoritism was not true. “The only truth is the company was doing well and making a good progress.”
People who worked with Sangay Tenzin know him as an honest and straight forward man.
“He is a man of high integrity, and always worked the king and the country,” said Tandin Wangchuk, General Manager of B-mobile who worked with Sangay Tenzin when the latter was the managing director of Bhutan Telecom.
Dorji Wangchuk of Centennial Radio said Sangay Tenzin was a determined civil servant who always worked overtime. “I started my career under him in the BBS. He was very strict in discipline and work culture.”
Sangay Tenzin was one of the two civilians who received Drakpoi Thugsey Medal in 2004 during the National Day Celebration in Gyalpoizhing, Mongar. It was during his tenure Druk Air declared profits ever since its inception some 20 years back.
“If RCSC decides that my service is still required I will be available. Otherwise, I’ll take care of my apple orchard,” Sangay Tenzin told BT.
Source: Bhutan TimesD