Money collected from big airports to help expand CISF security cover of small
As of now, CISF covers 61 out of 100 operational airports while the rest are covered by the local police.
New Delhi: In a bid to bring uniformity in the security of airports across the country, Civil Aviation ministry has ordered the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at 39 more airports.
As of now, CISF covers 61 out of 100 operational airports while the rest are covered by the local police.
The ministry has also decided to fund the security of smaller airports by transfering money collected from the bigger airports, Hindustan Times reported.
For the purpose, the ministry has decided to create a consolidated fund of passenger security fee. The money woulds then be used to pay for the CISF cover on smaller airports.
“We have issued an order related to aviation security fee in June this year, where not only did we raise the fee a bit, we decided to create a common pool from which the money will be distributed to the security agency. This will help us ensure the same standard of security at every airport,” a senior civil aviation ministry official told Hindustan Times.
After government launched of the Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) or UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik), several new airports were brought under its ambit in the past two years. The scheme was launched with an aim to provide connectivity to un-served and under-served.
The CISF had offered to provide frisking staff at a minimum staff to these airports nuy thay have continued to deploy local police personnel. These cops are not equipped and trained to provide aviation security.
Following which, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had asked the CISF to do a study on core and non-core jobs at small airports.
“The objective of the RCS is to provide air travel at a low cost. Putting the CISF at smaller airports would increase the operational cost, which we do not want. But at the same time, we cannot compromise with the security. A meeting was held last month where it was decided that gradually, the CISF will take over the remaining 39 airports that include airports in Jammu and Kashmir,” said another ministry official.