New Delhi: While politicians fight over the middle-class votebank, most seem to unite across party lines when it comes to privileges enjoyed by Members of Parliament.
Despite the strong public mood in favour of the “common man”, the government has, in a controversial decision that has led to a big furore, made it clear that all “private airlines and airport operators” must grant special privileges for MPs like lounge access as per the protocol laid down for MPs.
This includes access to reserved lounges, priority check-in, complimentary tea, coffee or water, and the designation of one officer at each airport as a protocol officer to extend these facilities and courtesies to MPs.
The government told Parliament of this in August 2013, in a reply by minister of state for civil aviation K.C. Venugopal. The government had said that the protocol is “to be followed by all concerned, including private airports and airlines”. This protocol was initially put in place in 2007.
The issue led to a considerable furore, with many asking why MPs should be extended special privileges without having to pay for them when the ordinary flyer pays for all services provided by airlines. By Wednesday evening, the civil aviation ministry was on the backfoot, saying aviation regulator DGCA “had not given any instruction to private airlines to extend any facility to MPs”.
Next: Ajit defends DGCA directive to Airlines
Ajit defends DGCA directive to Airlines
New Delhi: Criticising the move to provide special facilities to MPs, Omar Abdullah tweeted: “To be demanding special privileges for VIPs in this political atmosphere takes a special kind of disconnect with reality.”
Union civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said: “There is no such fresh directive on the part of the government to ask private airlines to offer special privileges to MPs.”
He furthur added that MPs, in any case, were entitled to business class travel and this automatically granted them access to lounges. Various special privileges are already being extended to MPs for many years by Air India.
Sources said that DGCA had in December last year been monitoring whether these facilities were being extended to MPs by private airlines. While such airlines didn’t want to comment on the “sensitive” matter, sources said most airlines were cutting costs and such a step would be a logistical nightmare and financial burden.
