Clash halts cargo handling

Cargo operations at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport came to a halt for over three hours on Wednesday afternoon following a clash between employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and customs.
The altercation between the two groups started after over 100 AAI employees allegedly tried to barge into the office of the assistant commissioner of customs on Wednesday afternoon while a meeting was on.
Cargo handling stopped between 2.30pm and 5.30pm but cargo movement was not affected. “Since most of the international flights, both passenger and cargo, take off at night, the clash had no effect on cargo movement,” said an airport official. Sources said the AAI employees had gone to the customs officials with a request to ask their employees to carry entry passes required for entering the high-security cargo terminal.
Several customs sepoys, according to the AAI allegation, do not carry the passes or get their lapsed passes renewed. “Carrying entry passes are a must as security has been stepped up after the Mumbai siege,” said an official.
Trouble started after two customs sepoys, S.C. Mondal and Ajay Gon, were stopped at Gate No. 7, the entrance to the cargo terminal, on Tuesday and Wednesday as they were not carrying entry passes.
Mondal’s pass had lapsed on January 10 and Gon’s on Tuesday. Sources said the clash broke out after a customs sepoy K.P. Sahu stopped the AAI delegation from entering the customs office.A spokesperson for the AAI employees’ union said: “One of our colleagues, Ashish Nag, was beaten up by Sahu. Nag was admitted to hospital.”
A customs official, on the other hand alleged, that several of their colleagues had been injured.
15/01/09 The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Jan 2009, Cargo Jan 2009