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Decks cleared for handing over the security of Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports to CISF

Subodh Bhasin. Dated: 11/16/2018 10:59:19 AM

Subodh Bhasin
Jammu, Nov 15
All the three airports of Jammu and Kashmir which are considered to be highly sensitive will now soon be given security by CISF relieving CRPF and state police in the state. The government has been discussing deployment of CISF- highly skilled aviation security force – at J&K airports for several years, and the current switch is aimed at bringing these airports at par with uniform standards of airport security all over the country and upgrade the quality of passenger experience in airports in the state which witnesses a high volume of tourists.
After years of deliberations, the security of the ultra-sensitive Jammu airport, along with the two others in Jammu and Kashmir, will change hands. Given the growing threat appraisal by intelligence agencies, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has cleared the proposal for handing over the security of Jammu, Srinagar, and Leh airports to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
It is pertinent to mention here that currently, the security at these airports, which handle almost 54 lakh passengers annually, is managed by the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force.
CISF deployment may take some time due to survey and process of change over of duties. The CISF is likely to ultimately be fully deployed by January 2019 itself. Out of around 100 airports, currently 61 major airports are guarded by the CISF. With the addition of three airports, the number of CISF-guarded airports will go up to 64. The civil aviation ministry has promptly issued an order for the same. The home ministry order dated November 12 asks the Ministry of Civil Aviation to initiate the process for the "induction" of CISF at these airports by preparing the ground for a survey.
“It has been decided to deploy the CISF at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports on the same terms and conditions which are in force for deployment of the CISF at other airports,” according to an official communication by ministry of home affairs (MHA). After the security audit of all three airports will be carried out by a multi-million team to assess how many CISF commandoes and kind of modern gadgets would be required and the terms and conditions for the CISF taking over the security of the three airports include regular payments toward the cost of deployment of the security personnel at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports which will be ensured by the ministry of civil aviation.
The ministry of civil aviation along with the MHA is also carrying out a security audit to allow passengers to carry hand baggage at these airports. Currently these airports allow only check-in baggage and passengers have to go in for an elaborate baggage identification procedure at the time of boarding at the departure terminal.