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The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has informed the members of the Upper House that Air India has stopped extending credit facilities to MPs for buying air tickets. Air India’s move is being criticised by a section of MPs who said taking away of the facilities should have been done after consulting at least the floor leaders of parties in the House.
Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha, PPK Ramacharyulu, told the members through a circular that consequent upon the recent decision of the Centre to disinvest Air India, the carrier has stopped “extending credit facility for purchase of air tickets against exchange orders issued by the Secretariat”.
“Accordingly, issue of exchange orders by the Secretariat has been discontinued forthwith. Air tickets from Air India may be purchased in cash, till further instructions,” he said in the circular to all members. Air India had earlier discontinued the facility to Government departments.
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The CPI(M) floor leader in Rajya Sabha and a member of the General Purposes Committee, Elamaram Kareem, said the decision will create hurdles for MPs. He said the MPs used to avail credit facility to buy tickets from airports in case of unscheduled meetings. “This government is stopping facilities given to MPs one by one. They are doing this without any discussions in Parliament or with the floor leaders or in the General Purposes Committee. This shows their respect to Parliament,” Kareem said.
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Another Rajya Sabha MP said that since Air India is no longer a Government-owned airline, they are expected to discontinue the facility. An MP Lok Sabha said he used to book tickets through a tour operator who provides credits to him. “I pay this agency as soon as my travel bills get cleared by the Secretariat. So, I don’t have an issue even if Air India closes this facility as I get credit from elsewhere,” the MP added.
Ramacharyulu also told MPs in the circular to immediately settle the dues to Air India by submitting their travel allowance claims at the earliest in the Rajya Sabha secretariat.
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