With the Delhi airport witnessing massive crowding and long queues, the Centre has sanctioned an additional 1,400 CISF personnel to secure the expanding terminal areas, officials said on Thursday.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with the representatives of the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Bureau of Immigration among others to review the action taken to ease the congestion reported at the bigger airports in the country, especially those in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
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The three terminals -- 1, 2 and 3 -- and the cargo hold area at the Indira Gandhi International Airport are being expanded and a further rise in passenger traffic is expected in the coming days.
The renovation and expansion of terminal 1 was slated to be over by January 2024. But, sources said, the Centre wants it be expedited and completed by November 2023, the start of the next holiday season.
This would warrant the deployment of more CISF personnel to secure the expanding areas of the IGI Airport. At present, the Delhi aiport has an approved CISF strength of 5,000 personnel. The sanction for more came after a four-month survey by security agencies. The proposal to boost the security strength by the BCAS and approved by the civil aviation ministry.
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According to sources, the proposal was for the creation of about 2,400 posts for the CISF to meet the upcoming needs at the IGI Airport. However, the manpower was finally rationalised at 1,400 new personnel. The ministry has also sanctioned the filling up of the existing vacancies.
(With inputs from PTI.)
The IGI will have a total strength of about 6,500 men and women personnel after the induction of the fresh manpower, they said.