Service chiefs not exempt from airport security drill

New Delhi: The three Service chiefs command the men in uniform who are prepared to lay down their lives to protect the country's territorial integrity, but they themselves have been denied exemption from security procedures at airports.
Parliament was informed Wednesday that the civil aviation ministry had turned down a proposal to grant the exemption as it would 'lead to similar demands from some other authorities'.
The defence ministry had approached its civil aviation counterpart after the Service chiefs addressed a letter to it earlier this year for exempting them from security procedures.
While travelling within the country, the Service chiefs almost invariably travel by the Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft. They board these from the military enclaves of civil airports, which means they do not have to undergo any security procedures.
During foreign travels, which are undertaken on commercial flights, the Service chiefs have to board the aircraft from civil terminals. This means they are bodily frisked and have hand-held metal detectors run over them by security personnel who rank equivalent to a junior commissioned officer in the armed forces.
21/11/07 IANS/Earth Times.org

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Nov 2007, Safety Nov 2007