Airport security proposal gets no response from government

Deployment of just 150 additional CISF jawans at Lohegaon airport will ensure security, but Centre sits on proposal

Deployment of just 150 additional CISF Jawans at Lohegaon airport will ensure security, but centre sits on proposal
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It would take just 150 more security personnel to secure the Lohegaon airport, but for reasons unknown the government is sitting on the proposal and reluctant to increase the strength of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawans.

Inadequate number of security personnel at the airport has forced authorities to close parts of its building with only a single entry-exit point being made available for thousands of daily passengers.

The Lohegaon airport.

More than 7,000 passengers use the Lohegaon airport daily. Apart from the existing 37 flights, more airlines are planning to start direct flights from the city to several destinations in the country.

Thus passengers are bound to increase which would add to the present inconvenience.

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The city airport authorities have forwarded a proposal about increasing the strength of CISF jawans by 150 which would take their total to 300.

The proposal is still in the initial stage and airport authorities maintain that because of inadequate security the entire functioning of the airport was not possible.u00a0

"The airport can be fully functional in a few days if we get the extra security force. The existing number of jawans is not enough for the functioning of the entire building of the airport," said Deepak Shastri, director of Lohegaon airport.

"As the number of passengers is growing every year, the additional security personnel can be utilised for manning the other entry-exit points which would add to the comfort of the people.

The proposal for more security is still pending and we are pursuing the issue with the Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security (BCAS), but the status still remains the same."

Spokesperson for the CISF Rohit Katiyar said, "I am not aware about the proposal by the city airport, but generally it takes time to sanction more security personnel.

"The Home Ministry will first conduct a survey, and then the proposal has to be sent to the Ministry of Finance which sanctions the additional force.

After this the pre-induction formalities including infrastructure and food for the jawans are carried out and only then the security is actually deployed."