Security girdle for Punjab

By Sarabjit Pandher

CHANDIGARH, JAN. 23. Following information of a possible strike by the Lashkar-e-Taiba, an alert has been sounded in Punjab, especially in the border districts. Special measures have been taken to beef up security at the Raja Sansi airport, the Attari railway station and the checkpost at the India-Pakistan border at Wagah on the G.T. Road leading to Lahore. A request for deploying National Security Guard commandos at the Amritsar airport has also been made with the Union Home Ministry, it was learnt.

According to highly-placed sources, a meeting of top officers of the Punjab Police, GRP, BSF, the Airports Authority of India and Intelligence agencies was held in Amritsar on Monday evening, to review security arrangements following threats from foreign-based terrorists to carry out strikes all over the country on the Republic Day.

Special steps had been taken to secure the Raja Sansi airport in Amritsar, in the wake of the recent strike by terrorists at the Srinagar airport. The Raja Sansi airport was also used by the terrorists briefly while hijacking an Indian Airlines flight from Nepal to Kandhar in 1999.

As part of the measures, which would remain in force till January 31, extra checkposts would be set up on the road leading to the airport. Only passengers would be allowed beyond the parking lot, where a special squad of sniffer dogs has been requisitioned.

Police have also decided to tighten vigil at the Madhopur barrier in Gurdaspur, which connects Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. Sources said the vigil, which included deployment of spotters and surprise checks, had been in force for the past couple of weeks.

A special exercise, the details of which were not available immediately, has also been launched to secure the trains running in the State.

Hoodwinking airport security

By Nirnimesh Kumar

NEW DELHI, JAN. 23. It seems the security personnel at various airports across the country have not learnt from past mistakes. A passenger claimed that he passed through the security check-in with four live pencil cells without being detected while boarding an Indian Airlines plane for Mumbai at the domestic terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here recently.

On another occasion, he carried RDX-like petroleum jelly and cleared the security check at the Mumbai airport. And he repeated his ``feat'' at the Kolkata and Chennai airports as well.

Later, he reported the security lapses at these airports to the authorities concerned, but no action was taken.

The passenger, Dr. Rakesh Kishore, had undertaken these exercises to test the alertness of the security personnel at airports after the Kandahar hijacking episode. On Tuesday, Dr. Kishore knocked at the door of the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Civil Aviation Ministry to step up security at airports across the country.

He alleged that frisking had not been improved and one could carry a small weapon or a mobile phone without being questioned or checked. He also brought to the court's notice the careless and casual approach of security personnel at the check- in baggage X-ray machine.

Taking serious note of the lapses detailed in Dr. Kishore's public interest litigation petition, a division bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Arajit Pasayat, and Mr. Justice D.K. Jain, directed the Union Government and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to take suitable steps to improve the security arrangements at airports.

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