DGCA letter asks private airlines to treat MPs as VIPs

In what could probably expose the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, a letter accessed by CNN-IBN shows that the private airlines were asked by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to provide special privileges to Parliamentarians, contrary to Minister Ajit Singh’s claims.

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The Civil Aviation Minister had earlier in the day rubbished reports of DGCA asking private airlines to offer special privileges to MPs, including advance notice of flight delays, escorts, priority check-in, security, immigration clearances, lounge access and complimentary refreshments.

A DGCA letter dated December 16, 2013 reads, "The committee on violation of protocol norms & contemptuous behaviour of government officers with member of Lok Sabha has raised the issue with Ministry of Civil Aviation where aiports & airlines are not adhering to guidelines on protocol norms and courtesy to be extended to MPs."

"It was decided in the meeting the list of nodal officers/protocol officers of all scheduled domestic airlines is to be provided to the Ministry. In compliance to the decision you are requested to submit the list of nodal/protocol officers in respect of your airlines positively by today. The matter is to be treated on urgent basis," it further said.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had earlier in the day clarified that neither the Ministry nor the Directorate General of Civil Aviations has issued any order directing private airlines to provide special privileges to MPs.

"No guidelines have been issued by Civil Aviation Ministry or DGCA and there is no such plan too," he had told IBN7.

Congress leader and Union Minister Rajeev Shukla too had echoed Ajit Singh's reactions saying, "No government directive has been issued. It is upto the airlines. For the last ten years a lot of demands have been made. Only a few of them have been accepted."

The DGCA’s orders directing airlines to treat MPs as VIPs has sparked controversy on the VIP culture of political leaders in the country.