If not 120, deploy 60 MSF guards at Juhu: AAI to BCAS

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has written to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Ministry (BCAS) requesting permission to have at least 60 personnel from the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) at Juhu aerodrome for security purposes.

Approval for around 120 MSF guards to be deployed at the aerodrome was given by BCAS earlier on July 5 however the bureau is yet to identify locations for the deployment. AAI officials are unhappy with the delay, revealed senior officials close to the development.

A letter on the issue was sent to BCAS on Thursday, October 20, asking the bureau to provide aerodrome officials with at least 60 personnel on an urgent basis for the sake of national security. “The letter mentioned allowing at least 50 to 60 MSF personnel at the aerodrome soon. It was written as there was unnecessary delay from BCAS in conducting the survey and giving final approvals for the same,” explained a senior AAI official from AAI headquarters at Delhi.

The ministry in a meeting with AAI, MSF and BCAS officials on July 5 had given approvals and asked that MSF personnel be deployed at the aerodrome. MSF was considered for the task only after a suggestion to deploy the CISF was rejected. Senior officials said that MSF currently had 500 personnel in the city and was ready for immediate deployment at the aerodrome but it too was awaiting the BCAS order.

The Asian Age had earlier reported that BCAS in the first week of October conducted a meeting but did not conduct the survey, delaying it further. Officials also said that BCAS did not give any reasons for the delay of over three months.