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Dec 2006

Govt enhancing security measures at airports: Patel

     New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today said the Centre has decided to take immediate action for induction of additional security technologies for upgrading the security at the airports across the country. Patel informed the Parliament that several measures were undertaken in this regard, including deployment of online X-ray baggage screening system at all the airports in a phased manner starting with the international airports, installation and improvement of coverage of CCTV at all the airports beginning with hyper sensitive airports. He further said that installation of biometric system connecting, perimeter intrusion security system at all hyper sensitive airports to start with Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports, and explosive detection system commencing with all hyper sensitive airports had also been undertaken. Concerned agencies have been directed to upgrade the security systems at the airports as described at, he said. "Up gradation of security system at the airports will be implemented in a phased manner and as such at this stage it is not possible to estimate the cost of upgradation," said Patel. The upgrading of security measures at airports assumes significance as of late there have been some threats of hijacking, particularly of the US-bound flights emanating from India. Last month, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had sounded an alert at the airports across the country after US' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informed the authorities about receiving an e-mail warning of hijacking of US-bound flights from India. Earlier, a terror alert was sounded at major South Indian airports after the security agencies received 'specific threat warnings' to blow up the airports of Chennai, Kochi, Trichy, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore. Al Qaeda was reported to have sent the threat warnings, after which the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials started providing enhanced security cover to all airports of the country.
-Dec 19, 2006