Only CISF entrusted with airport security: Patel

New Delhi, Apr 29 (UNI) Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been entrusted with the task of aviation security in the country and despite the presence of many private operators, there was no question of entrusting this responsibility with any of them.

He was replying to a question during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha from Prof P J Kurien (INC) who wanted to know whether the security of airports was in private hands.

The Minister assured him that this was not so. However, he said private airlines were authorised and cleared and already handling ground operations in many airports.

In a supplementary question, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (BJP) contested the Minister's claim saying that his experience during a recent visit to the Hyderabad airport was of parallel security sytem being in operation.

To this, Mr Patel responded saying that if information was given, the incident could be looked into. Only the CISF was responsible for airport security and if any company had violated this, prompt action would be taken against it.

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