Sanjay Singh / New Delhi
Central Industrial Security Force, CISF India’s paramilitary forces that provides security at Indian airports and industrial units across the country plans to reduce its manpower from non-core areas at airports.
By doing this it estimates to reduce its annual expenses by over 15 percent, CISF Director General Rajiv Ranjan said today on the side-lines of its event that begins tomorrow.
The CISF DG said there were about 10 non-core areas like cargo gates, lift points, where CISF men are not needed. The DG said they have shared this plan with the Union ministries of Home and Civil Aviation which will help reduce its manpower at our airports by around 3,000, the CISF DG, Rajiv Ranjan said at a press conference.
The CISF is organising a global aviation security event that begins Tuesday, where representatives from 18 countries will participate. The participants will discuss security issues confronting civil aviation sector globally and bring in the best security practices.
Ranjan further informed that CISF has close to 19,700 personnel at 60 airports across India and freeing up 3,000 men from airports will them rationalize their security network and depute them wherever necessary.
The cost of one CISF men deputed at any airport in the country comes to around 70,000 per month and that comes to rationalizing cost of security by Rs 210 crore a month and Rs 2,520 a year. Currently, CISF gets around Rs 1,656 annually from airport operators, which includes Airports Authority of India, the state-owned airport developer and other private airport developers.
This will also help airport developers and operators to bring down their operational cost and that it return will help in bringing down burden on airlines. Currently, passenger services fee (PSF) of Rs 130 per ticket is charged from every air to passengers to fund the cost of airport security.