The security of Jammu, Srinagar airports will be handled by the CISF – the Central Industry Security Force from January 1st of the new year. The CISF will replace the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Jammu and Srinagar airports and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBF) at the Leh airport.
This decision was made at the high-level meeting between the Ministries of Home Affairs, the Civil Aviation and respective security agencies.
According to sources, the CISF will be deployed at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports on the same agreements which were in effect for the deployment of CISF at other airports in India. News18 stated a CISF official saying that the security audit of the concerned three airports will be carried out by a multi-agency team before the deployment.
“Pre-induction formalities including a survey may be conducted on priority to enable the CISF to take over the security of these airports. The terms and conditions for the CISF taking over the security of the three airports include regular payments toward the cost of deployment of the security personnel at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports. This will be ensured by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.”
According to the Indian Express, the CISF had contended for the position through its vast experience of securing airports. Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports were out of its ambit. Moreover, the government had been in talks for years with the highly skilled aviation security force. Initially, the CRPF had opposed the decision because it is deployed in huge numbers in J&K for maintaining law and order. But the government had been adamant for CISF to take the airport security reins since it had the expertise.
