Mysore, July 19(JP) - Basic aviation security training has been imparted to an Inspector and seven Sub-Inspectors by officials of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) at Man-dakalli Airport recently.

Since there are no commercial flights except charter flights operating from the City airport, the external security is being handled by the City Police. Once the airport becomes operational, then the airport security will be handled by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The City cops along with a few officials from Jet and Kingfisher Airlines were given a five-training module that encompassed passenger safety, Perimeter Security, Access Control, Terminal Building Security, Apron Security, Surveillance, Passenger Handling and anti-hijack measures and use of x-ray screeners. The main role of airport security Police will be in the verification and screening of passengers.

A former DCP, who was in charge of security at the Bangalore International Airport, said that their role was restricted to intercepting passengers who may be on the Red Alert List. He explained that Red Alert is issued at the instance of the Intelligence Bureau on the advice of the Interpol and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sunil Agarwal, City Police Com-missioner, says that it was expected to get a full complement of around 78 officers and men. Currently, around 24 officers and men drawn from the District and City Police wing are carrying out armed security of the airport.

It may be recalled that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security was initially set up as a Cell in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee constituted in the wake of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight on 10th September , 1976. The role of the Cell was to coordinate, monitor, inspect and train personnel in Civil Aviation Secu- rity matters.

Security functions at all the airports in the country were performed by the Police personnel requisitioned from State Governments till January 2000. In the backdrop of hijacking of Indian Airlines aircraft (IC-814) in December 1999, airport security matters were reviewed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It was decided that in order to bring in uniformity of practices and procedures and ensure effective control and supervision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation , airports' security should be entrusted to a single dedicated force instead of different State Police forces with divergent work culture and practices.

The Committee of Secretaries (COS) in its meeting on 7th January, 2000 recommended that in the long-term there was a need for a more professionalised force for civil aviation.

The Commissioner of Security (CS) further recommended that Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) should be inducted at all airports in India. The dedicated CISF contingent earmarked for aviation security functions at airports in India has been notified as Aviation Security Group (ASG).

Courtesy : Star Of Mysore