By SUNIL Sonkar

NEW DELHI, India: A new bill passed in the Parliament now gives facilities to Ministers to take “any number of companions or relatives” along by air without any ticket charges.

Rajya Sabha approved the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill without any discussion in the house on Tuesday.

The bill was passed on December 18 by the Lok Sabha. Even there it was sent without any kind of discussion.

This Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) bill entitles Ministers to be able to take along “any number of companions or relatives” by air at the same rates that are allowed to them as travelling allowances to them and their family.

This bill brings the Ministers on par with the facilities that are given to the MPs. It ends the discrepancy between the Ministers and MPs.