Replying to a question on the issue, the Minister said the appointment of NRIs as special invitees had no legal sanction and therefore the matter was a serious one and needed to be inquired.

The controversial appointment of these NRIs was first reported in The Indian Express.

Opposition members were not satisfied with a departmental inquiry and demanded that the matter be probed by a House committee. Their demand was, however, rejected by Rajya Sabha Chairman Krishan Kant, who said that the Minister should table the enquiry report in the current session itself.

In his reply, the Minister said that it was for the first time that NRIs were appointed as ``special invitees'' to the board of directors and that the decision was reversed by the present government soon after comingto power. Former civil aviation minister C M Ibrahim, however, rose in defence of the United Front Government's decision and accused the present government of trying to politicise the issue. Ibrahim said the appointment had the necessary legal sanction and opinions of the Law Ministry and the ambassadors of the countries where the NRIs were settled were also sought.In reply to another question, the Minister said the aircraft acquisition committee has cleared the acquisition of 30 aircraft including 22 smaller 50-seater aircraft for operating on feeder routes.