M A I N   N E W S

ASF put in cold storage
Sharad wanted 10,000 Biharis on force
From T.R. Ramachandran
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The grandiose plans of raising a crack aviation security force (ASF) has been put in cold storage because of the fear of having to induct 10,000 nominees of Union Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav.

Mr Yadav gave his enthusiastic approval for setting up the ASF to deal with critical airport security all over the country in the hope of providing direly needed employment to people from his home state of Bihar. The minister felt such a gesture would also go a long way in firming up the support of his constituents.

When Mr Yadav reportedly stressed that he would provide the names of 10,000 job applicants to be inducted into the ASF, eyebrows were raised in the Union Home Ministry and the central police organisations.

There was hushed talk in the corridors of the North Block housing the Union Home Ministry that job seekers owing allegiance to a particular political party were sought to be thrust upon a highly specialised force on the anvil.

The Civil Aviation Minister’s insistence on making available more than half the proposed strength of the ASF compelled the authorities at various levels to change tack as they did not want to be saddled with a force which catered to the predilections of a leader from Bihar overseeing the civil aviation sector in the country.

It had since been decided to set up a force having the requisite expertise in dealing with airport security within the ambit of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The recruitment for this wing would be undertaken by the CISF itself in keeping with its own standards and procedures.

By making the ASF an adjunct of the CISF, the central police organisations had managed to steer clear of the alleged diktats of Mr Yadav as the numero uno of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

In the prevailing open skies policy, security at airports all over the country required to be geared up for making air travel safe and to avoid incidents of hijacking and other violent incidents. Sources said they had no doubt that if such blatant partisanship came into play in the formation of a specialist force like the ASF, it was doomed to fail even before it took off.

Soon after the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar, Afghanistan, during a scheduled Kathmandu-Delhi flight in December, a committee of secretaries had been constituted for a critical appraisal of the security measures at various airports in the country.

The committee had recommended the raising of a specialised ASF.

A detailed study of the requirements showed that the ASF must have a strength of about 20,000 officers and men for providing security at all 63 civilian airports in the country. A complement of 40-45 personnel was enough to man smaller airports. However, at the metros like the national capital, Mumbai, Chennai or Calcutta at least 800-1000 personnel would be needed for round the clock security.

Considering the lack of trained manpower at present, 20 airports in the country were manned by CISF personnel. The responsibility of managing the security at all other airports had been entrusted to the state governments. 

3 hurt in stone pelting
From Tribune Reporters

SUNAM, Sept 26 — Three employees — Mr Prem Singh (PWD), Mr Karnail Singh (PWD) and Mr Hakam Singh (Education) — were today injured when some miscreants reportedly pelted stones on their vehicle at Ubhawal village, the native village of Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

The injured persons were accompanying the other employees who were in four tempos and coming from Barnala to Sunam via Ubhawal for participating in an employees’ rally organised here today on a call given by the Joint Action Committee of Punjab and UT Employees in protest against the state government’s alleged anti-employee policies.

The injured persons were brought to the local Civil Hospital where they were given medical assistance.

Talking to TNS here, Mr Brij Bhushan, a leader of the Government Teachers Union, Barnala Tehsil unit, alleged the employees had been stoned by the SAD workers in Ubhawal village when they were protesting against the government.

He also alleged that stones were pelted on them near the election office of the SAD candidate by about a dozen persons.

Meanwhile, the district administration has made all civil and security arrangements to hold free and fair election to the Sunam Assembly constituency on September 29.

This was stated by Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, while addressing a joint press conference along with Mr Jatinder Singh Aulakh, SSP, Sangrur, at the PWD Rest House here today.

Mr Tiwari said the campaigning period would be over at 5 p.m tomorrow and after that no agitation would be allowed in the constituency. He further said it was mandatory for every voter to have documentary evidence to cast his or her vote in this byelection.

The Deputy Commissioner said the electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be stored in a strongroom in the local ITI. Counting of votes would also be held there.

Mr Aulakh said about 1,600 security personnel, including commandos and paramilitary jawans, 15 gazetted officers and 200 non-gazetted officers, would be deployed on the polling day. He said the constituency had been divided into two zones and four sectors.