It refers to media-reports indicating that Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) may be setting up a ticket-counter at Parliament complex to sell tickets of private airlines. This will be first such counter comforting private companies that too parallel to Air India counter operating till now to sell only Air India tickets. A Parliamentarian is entitled for 34 business-class air-tickets annually. Idea is not bad to comfort Parliamentarians. But he cost can and should be saved by IRCTC counter also selling Air India tickets thus abolishing need of a separate Air India counter.
Moreover practice should be changed so that all those including Parliamentarians (except those requiring security) travelling through air may get only economy-class air-travel facility. Since biggest domestic airliner Indigo has only economy-class, rule should be that all aeroplanes used for domestic travel, may have only economy class. However priority booking in front-rows can be allowed without extra cost for those till now entitled for travel in business-class or first-class.
Many of those travelling on public-expense manage free air-travel after accumulating Frequent-Flier-Points. System should be formulated whereby Frequent-Flyer-Points on all air-tickets purchased from public-funds including public-sector-undertakings may be credited to accounts of concerned government or public-sector-undertaking to be reimbursed in cash.
MADHU AGRAWAL