STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: The Union government has extended an order given to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for temporarily supervising cargo operations and in-line hold baggage screening system at 69 civil airports of the country under its counter-terrorist cover till May 21, official sources said Monday.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had issued an official direction in this context on May 9 and had directed the CISF to undertake this task till May 18.
The order has been extended till May 21, sources told PTI.
A CISF spokesperson had said earlier that the order mandated “temporarily” extending CISF’s cover to these processes in “direct response” to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the subsequent security scenario in the country. The CISF, according to the mandate, is only entrusted to frisk passengers and their cabin baggage.
The cargo and in-line hold baggage screening system (ILHBSS) checking is done by private security staff engaged by the airlines and airport operators.
The force is “hard pressed” for manpower while securing the 69 airports under its cover. A number of leaves have been cancelled and reserve staff has been brought onboard to undertake this temporary duty of supervising checks for cargo and in-line hold baggage screening, a senior officer said.
The spokesperson had said the enhancement of CISF’s mandate was “essential” to “reinforce” security arrangements at all civil airports.
The May 9 directive also authorised CISF personnel to perform random checks and oversee access control to these “critical” facilities (airports).
About two lakh personnel strong CISF under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is the national civil aviation security force and it has deployed around 45,000 personnel to guard 69 airports as part of its aviation security group (ASG).
