Tripura seeks more CISF jawans to man Agartala airport

AGARTALA: The Tripura government has written to the Union home ministry to deploy an adequate number of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at MBB Airport here to extend the hours of night landing 24x7, said transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury in the assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to a call attention motion, Chowdhury said the ministry of civil aviation has constructed one of the most modern airports in the country with all facilities. But due to a shortage of security personnel and fire service crews, the airport has not yet been functional round the clock, which has already been taken up with the ministries of home affairs and civil aviation.

He said for round-the-clock service, the airport needs at least 342 CISF personnel and a contingent of fire service crew but MBB Airport now has only 230 CISF personnel which is a hurdle becomes a hurdle for the airport authority to run the airport all the time.

The shortage of 112 CISF personnel prevented the airport to extend the service beyond specified hours.