Training helps little in making CISF men polite

Chennai: Air passengers who pay a premium for travelling comfortably usually have a complaint when they walk into airports.
That Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, entrusted with the task of providing security at airports, often ill-treat them and behave with them as if they are criminals.
Though the aspect of security is a major concern at airports, officials agree that the system of security checks employed by CISF personnel is still archaic. The behaviour-and-courtesy training imparted to CISF personnel by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has failed to create the desired impact. And surprisingly, constables, who perform most of the checking duties at airports, are not covered under the programme.
AAI provides training to CISF officers and the results are evident. Passengers, for example, find a difference in their behaviour. "Generally, passengers are subjected to security check by personnel in the rank of constable. I find that officers are often soft and well behaved. But constables treat you like a criminal. It is high time they changed their behaviour," Krishnakumar, a frequent flier, says. Indeed, many agencies associated with day-to-day operations at airports and passenger services believe that CISF constable behaviour has to undergo a major change.
"The concept of better passenger relations is a key area for the airport authority and also for the airlines. However, efforts of other agencies to provide maximum comfort and facilities for passengers at airports are often neutralised by the bad behaviour of CISF personnel. They only see things from the security point of view and often overlook the stature and dignity of a passenger," an airport source says.
CISF sources say that AAI training, which teaches CISF personnel how to keep themselves calm, cool and collected, are conducted annually at all airports in India. They agree that the training programme do not include all ranks in the force and that constable-rank personnel are often left out.
28/05/09 K Praveen Kumar/Times of India

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Categories: Airports May 2009