State agency keen on cargo operation at Bajpe airport

Mangalore: Starting cargo operation at Bajpe airport of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) appears to depend on a State Government undertaking that has reportedly evinced interest in handling cargo, fulfilling certain conditions put forth by Mangalore Customs Commissionerate.
The commissionerate has declared the airport fit for handling only bags of passengers. For cargo operation to begin at the airport, the commissionerate has to declare it fit to handle cargo.
John Joseph, Commissioner of Mangalore Customs Commissionerate, said that his office was facing a shortage of manpower.
The commissionerate had no sanctioned staff (exclusively for airport) to handle customs-related operation at the airport.
As there were only nine international flights a week, the commissionerate had deputed nine of its staff for duty at the airport.
These staff had to work at the Customs House in the city during the day and at the airport at night when international flights operated.
They were not paid extra allowance for working at the airport for extended hours. However, the commissionerate was managing its operations at the airport.
In this situation, it was not possible for the commissionerate to depute more staff to carry out customs-related duties in the cargo handling section if cargo operation was to begin.
01/05/07 The Hindu/Bellevision

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Categories: Airports May 2007, Cargo May 2007, New May 2007