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CISF to look after airport security

Union Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav today said that the Central Industrial Security Force, or CISF, would be assigned the task of looking after security at airports in the country.

Addressing a press conference here, he said at present local police were responsible for security at the airports, while CISF personnel had started assisting them after the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane last December.

''The final shape of airports' security would be chalked out in the phased manner,'' he added.

Yadav said talks were on with the Nepal government to resume IA flights from Kathmandu, suspended after the hijacking incident.

Official teams of both countries were exchanging visits to settle the issue, he said adding that the Nepal foreign minister was also likely to visit India in this regard very soon.

The minister, however, made it clear that resumption of flights from Kathmandu would be possible only after India was convinced of proper security arrangements.

He did not divulge much, saying it was a delicate matter involving mutual relations between the two countries.

Yadav said various new security measures had been introduced after the hijacking incident and all X-ray machines at airports had been changed. Random presence of commandos on flights was among steps taken by the government, he said.

In reply to a question, he regretted that both Air-India and Indian Airlines were short of planes due to financial constraints and were thus not in a position to ably handle air traffic.

Both were handling just forty per cent of air traffic due to lack of infrastructure, the minister said.

He said Indian Airlines would soon start operating on the 'Buddha circuit' in a big way. A $ 100-million 'Maitri Sangh project' was underway at Gaya as a part of this endeavour, he added.

UNI

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