New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that his ministry is closely monitoring the bomb threats to airlines and will soon come up with a lasting solution. Emphasising the need for stronger laws and regulations to deter such menace, Naidu said that his ministry is considering changes to existing legislation to tackle the issue more effectively.
Naidu said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is consulting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law to amend the Aircraft Act of 1934 and Aircraft Rules of 1937. The proposed changes include a five-year imprisonment for offenders and their placement on a no-fly list.
Amid the hoax call menace faced by airlines in India, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Monday chaired a crucial meeting with DGF the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and DG Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and reviewed the situation.
Sources said that Rajwinder Singh Bhatti, the Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Zulfiquar Hasan, the Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), gave a detailed presentation on the issue. It was informed in the meeting that most of the calls had their origin abroad with several airlines receiving more than 100 such bomb threats this week.
“Both Bhatti and Hasan gave a detailed presentation to home secretary Govind Mihan about the steps taken to curb such menace,” sources said. The meeting took place for more than half an hour. More than 30 flights of various Indian carriers received bomb threats on Saturday whereas the Indian airlines received 25 bomb threats on Sunday.
A hoax bomb threat has put the security agencies into a tizzy with the passengers facing additional security checking. It is worth mentioning that BCAS lays down standards and measures for the security of civil flights at international and domestic airports in India while remaining sensitive to the globally evolving aviation security scenario. The CISF on the other hand, guards 68 civilian airports in the country with the deployment of around 40,000 personnel.
The CISF provides anti-terror security cover, frisk passengers and screen luggage in the airports. Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that his ministry is closely monitoring the situation and will soon come up with a lasting solution. Emphasising the need for stronger laws and regulations to deter such menace, Naidu said that his ministry is considering changes to existing legislation to tackle the issue more effectively.
Naidu said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is consulting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law to amend the Aircraft Act of 1934 and Aircraft Rules of 1937. The proposed changes include a five-year imprisonment for offenders and their placement on a no-fly list.
Read more: Read more: Over 30 Flights Receive Hoax Bomb Threats; Six of Them Land At Mumbai Airport 'As Per Schedule'
