Easy ride for politicians at Chennai airport

Chennai: All security steps are thrown to wind by most of the politicians and the top government officials when they take flights to reach their destinations.
They do not care about the public’s safety and often get in to the aircraft without hassles, despite the fact that a majority of them are not exempted from security checks at the airports.
According to a circular in 1988 from P Chidmabram, the then minister of state for internal security, only six people President of India, vice-president of India, prime minister, speaker of Lok Sabha, supreme court judges and governors - were exempted from the checks.
All others, including the MP, should undergo the security check.
Captain A Ranganathan, an expert in aviation, said the list now stands amended and the number has swelled to nearly 100 categories. Interestingly, the new list contains even Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The former pilot said the security checks at the airports is superfluous. “In Chennai airport, the trolley carriers and porters with temporary ID cards are hardly checked,’’ Ranganathan pointed out.
He narrated an incident in which a politician, who had sent in one of his aides for check in so that he could catch the flight a few minutes before the take off. Surprisingly, the officials allowed the aide to do the check in for him!
07/12/08 Express Buzz

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008, Safety Dec 2008