NEW DELHI, Sept 23: Private security will gradually replace the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel for the security of the airports in the country.
An official spokesman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said on Friday that the CISF personnel performing non-core duties at 60 airports in the country would soon be replaced by private security personnel.
The move would reduce the security expenditure, he said and added that “these CISF personnel can be deployed at other airports which will further strengthen the security set-up.” “In line with the decision of the central government, a total of 1,924 private security agency personnel will be deployed at 60 airports in place of CISF personnel, posted at non-core duty posts,” the AAI said.
India has a total of 486 airports, airstrips, flying schools, and military bases in the country with 123 airports operating scheduled commercial flights including some with dual civilian and army use and 35 international airports.
AAI also said it has appointed 581 security personnel from Directorate General Resettlement (DGR)-sponsored security agencies for non-core posts at 45 airports. “These security personnel will be deployed after completion of the aviation security (AVSEC) training programme at selected airports,” it said.
It also said as many as 161 DGR personnel for 16 airports are attending AVSEC training programmes and they would be deployed after completion of training from Saturday. Already 74 DGR security personnel have been deployed at Kolkata Airport from early this month after attending the AVSEC training programme, the spokesman said. The deployment process of the remaining security personnel was under process, he added.
(Manas Dasgupta)