Permission not always needed for receiving dignitaries outside airport terminal: Govt

Permission is not always required for receiving any dignitaries or political leaders outside the terminal building of the airport, union minister Jayant Sinha told the Rajya Sabha today.
"A senior leader of a political party was welcomed by the local party functionaries and workers outside the terminal building at Goa airport on July 1, 2017, in an area open to general public," he said in a written reply.
The minister of state for civil aviation was responding to a query on whether on July 1, a political party organised a public meeting at Goa airport and whether the airport authority had given permission for it.

To a related query, he said the matter is presently subjudice.
Last month, the Bombay High Court had issued notices to the civil aviation ministry and others over a petition against the public meeting held by BJP president Amit Shah in an allegedly prohibited area at Goa airport.
"Permission is not always required for receiving any dignitaries/ political leaders outside the terminal building at the airport.

"Such receptions can be appropriately regulated at any time by the airport authorities and security agencies depending upon the security cover of the person arriving and other factors," Sinha said.
Further, he said that during the Advance Security Liaison meeting held on June 29 by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Security, it was informed that welcome/ reception of the visiting dignitary will be held outside the terminal building.

"The same was duly taken note of by the airport authorities also," he added.