CISF to take over BIA security

CISF to take over BIA security
By S Praveen Dhaneshkar, DH News Service, Bangalore:


As the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) completed its first month of commercial operations on Tuesday, the security at the airport provided by the State police has not checked petty crimes in its vicinity.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will soon take over entire security of the new aerodrome, including the vast open space adjacent to the main terminal building.

Sources in the CISF told Deccan Herald that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoH), New Delhi, is expected to clear a proposal to sanction an additional strength of about 300 personnel.

“A proposal has been sent to the MoH for additional forces. It is likely to be sanctioned very soon, in view of the overall aspect of the importance an international airport should be accorded. With this, the city side of the airport,including the car parking area, air-cargo complex and the trumpet interchange highway, would come under the ambit of the CISF. This would translate into our personnel in ‘mufti’ (Plainclothes) keeping an extra vigil within and outside the airport terminal,” a senior official from the central paramilitary force said.

Taken for granted?

Officials added that incidents of theft of laptops were higher at the HAL airport.
“Here at BIA, each passing day has witnessed the situation getting better. However, recent incidents like minor thefts outside the terminal building, an airline passenger being caught with a fake passport and another nabbed after a narcotic substance was found in his baggage, shows that people tend to take security inside an airport for granted,” explained CISF sources.

Currently, over 1,000 personnel have been posted at BIA and are in charge of airport and land side security. The cover provided by the CISF is in compliance with the norms laid down by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

It is also equipped with an elite bomb disposal and dog squads, round-the-clock.