The Juhu aerodrome is likely to remain unsecured for the next few months, as authorities plan to scale down the strength of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel even before they are posted at the airport.
According to sources, given the Airport Authority of India’s (AAI)failure to find and fund suitable accommodations for CISF personnel,the sanctioned strength of 174 troops will now be brought down to around 80. The induction of CISF men has already overshot the deadline of April 1 because of pending accommodation arrangements.
This comes in the backdrop of government agencies expediting the
process of providing security cover at the airport after several
terror alerts by intelligence agencies. The ministry of home affairs and Intelligence Bureau had gone into an overdrive to get the security plan sanctioned.
The CISF is demanding two or three BHK flats for officers, and smaller apartments for bachelors within a three-kilometer radius of the airport, which, according to AAI sources will cost them “a bomb”.
“We gave them the option of flats, which we can rent in suburbs like Navi Mumbai which are a little far. The AAI is already experiencing severe financial crunch and can’t afford flats in up-market areas like Juhu,” said a senior AAI official.
While barracks for around 80 personnel are ready, accommodation for the remaining 94, which also include commandant rank officers is posing problems.
The decision to scale down the security has been taken by a high level committee comprising officials from the ministry of civil aviation, AAI, CISF and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. Juhu airport director M. Yadagiri confirmed the development and said all efforts are being made to ensure the security plans are not postponed.