Former civil aviation minister Praful Patel has made sure that even after being moved to another ministry, he gets to keep at least some privileges that came with his earlier tarmac.
Among the last orders that Patel issued in his earlier job was one that allows his car to go right up to the aircraft at all airports across the country. This privilege? now available to all former civil aviation ministers who are part of the government ?was earlier restricted to individuals in 8-10 of the nation?s highest constitutional posts, including that of President, Vice-President and Prime Minister.
The ball was set rolling on the new order two months Patel demitted office, and was pushed through in a hurry, top ministry officials said. On January 21, two days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shifted Patel to heavy industries and public enterprises with a Cabinet rank, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued a circular saying ??all former civil aviation ministers still serving as Union ministers?? may be allowed ??access of vehicle up to the tarmac of airports??.
A copy of the BCAS order, accessed by The Indian Express, was marked to Patel at his new office in Udyog Bhawan. Repeated attempts to contact Patel for a comment failed. The BCAS order means that while former civil aviation ministers from the NDA like Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ananth Kumar and Shahnawaz Hussain will be stopped at the barricades, Patel?s ministerial colleague, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was civil aviation minister from 1993-96 and is ??still serving?? as Union minister, will breeze through.
The ministry under Patel had earlier issued an order entitling all former civil aviation secretaries and their immediate families a lifetime free upgrade to the highest class on national carrier Air India.
The privilege of vehicular access to the tarmac has been extended on a temporary basis in the past to former Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah owing to health reasons, J Jayalalithaa when she was a coalition partner in the NDA government owing to security reasons, and the Puri Shankaracharya.
The special privilege has also led to trouble at airports in the past. An official recalled an incident of two years ago in Bangalore, when an aide to former President APJ Abdul Kalam took exception to the security agencies? refusal to allow him access to the tarmac.
Security officers have also stopped spouses from accompanying eligible dignitaries to the aircraft, said officials. ??It has led to embarrassing situations,?? said an official.