Parliamentarians across the world are given facilities, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told NDTV.
A day after stating that privileges for Members of Parliament at airports will continue, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said what is extended to lawmakers at airports are not privileges, but "courtesies".
"Parliamentarians are frequent fliers, across the world they are given facilities... Tea, coffee, water these cannot be called privileges, they are courtesies," the minister told NDTV. "Of course, people's representatives need to be honoured, but that's a secondary thing."
The minister's clarification follows his yesterday's statement about the privileges accorded to lawmakers at airport, which further fuelled the national debate about the country's so-called VIP-culture.
Time and again, VIPs have been found flaunting and abusing the privileges, which come at the cost of the exchequer. The special treatment accorded to lawmakers at airports has been drawing mounting disapproval, with even a section of politicians criticising them.
The minister had told the Lok Sabha yesterday that there has been no proposal to curtail privileges for the lawmakers at airports. He had enumerated the privileges, a guideline for which was formulated in 2007 and made mandatory for airports and private airlines through a government circular.
The minister said these include reserved lounge facility at all international and domestic terminals, free water and hot beverages. Lawmakers are also given free access to terminal building and visitors' gallery; entry pass is provided for their staff in Delhi and their constituencies.
It is mandatory for all airports to designate one officer as "protocol officer" to see that all courtesies and facilities are extended to Parliamentarians.
Besides, lawmakers also act as the chairman of airport advisory committee of airports that come under their constituencies.