Govt provides CRPF escort for airline staff in Valley

Srinagar, August 28: Faced with an imminent threat of suspension of all passenger airline operations from Srinagar, the J-K Government has arranged a CRPF escort to help the airline staff cross the CRPF checkpoints where several airline employees had allegedly been stopped, beaten up and their vehicles damaged.

“It has been hell. The CRPF men at the checkpoints have not been entertaining our passes. On several occasions when we approached the CRPF officer at the checkpoint, they would ask for a ticket,” said Kingfisher Airport Manager Sheikh Fazal. “They told us again and again that we will only allow people with air tickets. When we pleaded that how can an airline operate when the staff cannot make it to the airport, they would not listen.”

Spice Jet Airport Manager Irfan Kanth said the staff of his airline was beaten up at Hyderpora chowk on way to the airport and their vehicles damaged. “They (CRPF) beat up our staff. Our curfew passes were not entertained. They continued this for three days at Hyderpora crossing and other checkpoints along the airport road,” he said. “We showed our airport passes issued by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security but they didn’t entertain anything. Even the curfew passes issued by the district magistrate were not honoured.”

Asserting that the situation was so bad that the airline had to cancel a flight, Kanth said, “Our people couldn’t reach the airport and we had to cancel our flight.”

The situation took a serious turn when the co-ordination committee of the seven airlines operating at Srinagar International Airport threatened to suspend their operations indefinitely in view of the harassment. In fact, the airport managers wrote a joint letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, J-K Governor N N Vohra, Director General of J-K Police Kuldeep Khuda and Airport Director, Srinagar International Airport, threatening to suspend operations in case the Government didn’t take immediate measures to provide protection to their staff while they travel. “A senior Intelligence Bureau officer was on one of our flights and we approached him for help. He immediately intervened and we were provided with a CRPF escort to take our staff to the airport and back home every day,” said Jet Airport Manager Nafees Siddique. “Now an escort from the CRPF helps us cross the CRPF checkpoints without being beaten up and harassed.” The Srinagar International Airport operates 13 to 15 flights a day which includes all major private airlines.

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