NEW DELHI: The never-ending tussle between two crucial government agencies – Customs and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) – is to be primarily blamed for passengers’ inconvenience during medical emergencies at airports.
According to sources, private airport operators as well as airlines have complained against the two departments for causing inconvenience to air passengers. Areas in the airport are divided by these agencies and often passengers allege of being harassed by one or the other agency.
“From CCTV cameras installed in the Customs department to day to day work, CISF personnel try to keep away Customs officials. Similarly, the Customs department does not want the CISF or any other agency to monitor their staff or work. They make a hue and cry if they find any CISF personnel roaming suspiciously in their area.
Officials, working in airports across India, are aware about the tussle,” a senior airport official told MAIL TODAY on the condition of anonymity.
The CISF, last year refused to comply with the Customs department’s demand of providing staff to check smuggling cases, an official said.
Similarly, while dealing with a theft case, when the CISF asked the Customs department to provide CCTV footage of the Customs area, the department refused.
Another issue that is the bone of contention between the two warring agencies is frisking. Customs officials do not easily allow CISF personnel to frisk them. Officials of the two agencies had a spat on the issue at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai last year. Customs officials accused the CISF of subjecting their men and equipment to ‘unnecessary’ checks at the terminal. They also alleged that CISF personnel frisk their staff even if they are returning only from the toilet.
In 2012, the security of the Mumbai international airport was seriously compromised when two entry gates were left unmanned for almost four hours after an altercation between CISF personnel and Customs officials.
While CISF withdrew its personnel from the gates, the Customs department conducted a surprise check on two CISF vans and seized them. “In various meetings attended by senior personnel of the CISF and officials of the Customs department, both agencies showed conflict. The immigration department has also raised issues with the CISF personnel,” sources said.
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