Troops to get flight access to Kashmir
MHA order entitles CRPF, other paramilitary forces take commercial flights while joining duty or going on leave
Jawans of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitary forces can now take commercial flights to join duty or while going on leave.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order on Thursday approving the entitlement of air travel on the Delhi-Srinagar, Srinagar-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu routes for jawans. This will benefit approximately 7,80,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The decision came up in the wake of the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in a suicide attack on their convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.
"The decision will immediately benefit approximately 7,80,000 personnel of CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable and ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave, ie while going on leave from J&K to home and return," MHA said.
The order further stated, "This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave."
It may be recalled that in Jammu and Kashmir sector, air courier service for CAPFs jawans was okayed for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. Afterwards, the service was extended to cover Delhi-Jammu, Jammu-Srinagar, Srinagar-Jammu and Jammu-Delhi sector in December 2017.
In addition, the MHA has stated that air support is provided from Indian Air Force as and when required.
As many as 65,000 CRPF personnel are stationed in Jammu and Kashmir as part of 65 battalions besides units of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Central Industrial Security Force, and National Security Guard.