1,000 more officials for IGI's immigration

The peak hour menace at the Indira Gandhi International airport will soon be put to rest. The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to hire 1,000 officials for immigration counters in a bid to end the serpentine queues. The home ministry has given approval to the Bureau of Immigration for appointing the immigration assistants on a contractual basis. Approval has also been given for the conversion of 350 posts from higher to lower grade.

The government also plans to increase the number of operational immigration counters at the airport from 85 to 95 by month-end. According to officials, each passenger spends about 90 seconds at an immigration counter; authorities are planning to reduce this to 30 seconds.