No tarmac access for Lalu Yadav, wife at Patna airport

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi will no more be able to drive straight to their aircraft at Patna airport as the central government has withdrawn tarmac access for their vehicle, according to officials.

“Previous order (allowing access) was for Patna airport only, which has been withdrawn,” said an official at the bureau of civil aviation security.

The move comes after the ministry of civil aviation wrote a letter to the BCAS informing that it had decided to revoke permission granted in 2009 allowing Lalu Yadav and his wife’s vehicle to drive up to the tarmac.

“It has now been decided that the permission accorded to Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav and Smt Rabri Devi vide the AVSEC order No 13/2009 dated 1/08/2009 maybe withdrawn forthwith,” says the letter dated July 21.

The letter asks BCAS to take “immediate action to issue necessary instructions” to ensure implementation of the ministry’s decision.

Under the earlier order, the two former chief ministers were “permitted access in their own vehicle up to the tarmac of Patna airport during their departure/arrival by air at
Patna airport”.

Lalu was the chief minister of Bihar from 1990 to 1997 when he was forced to step down following corruption charges. His wife Rabri took over as the chief minister and served three terms until 2005.

Lalu’s RJD is an alliance partner in the Bihar government and his son Tejashwi Yadav holds the post of the deputy chief minister. Lalu was convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and is facing fresh allegations along with his wife and son.