NEWDELHI,OCT 10;The minister also asked aviation security agencies in the country to undertake “perspective planning” to thwart possible threats to aviation facilities. Recalling the 2009 “underwear bomber”, who attempted to blow up an Amsterdam-Detroit flight mid-air, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday militants are pushing their “limits” and “underpants” to attack global civil aviation operations.Singh also said closer to home, ensuring security of about 40 small airports and heliports in India is a subject that cannot be “ignored”. The minister also asked aviation security agencies in the country to undertake “perspective planning” to thwart possible threats to aviation facilities.Security agencies such as the CISF should undertake “untiring and sincere efforts to maintain fool-proof security” at airports, which are thronged by lakhs of travellers daily, Singh said. The seminar is being organised by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a federal force that guards 60 civil airports at present. It is being attended by delegates from 18 countries and several airlines.”There are 40 other operational airports and heliports under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) in India, which are guarded by airport security units carved out from the respective state police forces. “The strength of any claim is determined by the strength of its smallest unit, therefore the security of the smaller airports should never be ignored,” Singh said.Officials said while there has been a talk of deploying CISF personnel at airports under the RCS or UDAN scheme, no “final decision” has been taken. These facilities continue to be guarded by state police forces, which are not as professional as the central force, in rendering aviation security duties, they said.
