Security cost row hits UDAN’s flight

Ministries of Home, Finance and Civil Aviation squabble over cost of security at 43 additional airports

Mysuru Karnataka: 23 11 2016: A file photograph of Mysuru set to return on the air map of the country under Centre's Udaan scheme. PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM.

The government’s low-cost regional air connectivity scheme has led to inter-ministerial tussle over the cost of the security infrastructure for the project. The Ministry of Civil Aviation already owes ₹800 crore to the Home Ministry for deploying Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other central police forces at 59 airports. The addition of 43 airports under the UDAN scheme is going to add considerably to the cost.

The Finance Ministry has suggested that the cost be passed on to passengers.

PMO’s call

A meeting on Friday between the three ministries to discuss unified security architecture for the aviation sector and consolidation of security at airports under the CISF, failed to reach a consensus. The matter may now go to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The issue had earlier been flagged to the National Security Advisor (NSA) but no conclusion could be reached.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju, their counterpart in the Finance Ministry Arjun Ram Meghwal, and top officials of the three ministries attended the meeting. While the Civil Aviation Ministry argued that since security is a sovereign function, the money should come from the Consolidated Fund of the Government of India, the Finance Ministry is said to have suggested that the burden be borne by air travellers by increasing the “passenger fee”.

The Home Ministry however, disagreed with this suggestion, contending that it would lead to in air fare hike.

Growing numbers

Mr. Sinha said, “We are closely working with these ministries to be able to strengthen the presence of CISF at all airports, including UDAN airports. We have 70-75 functional airports and expect that in two-three years the number would go up to 200 airports. Once we have 200 airports, we have to think very carefully about the security architecture. This is what I discussed with my colleagues in the Finance and Home Ministries because we would like to make security a sovereign function and ensure the funding of security is not done on an airport-to-airport basis but is done comprehensively across the aviation network.”

The UDAN scheme aims at stimulating regional connectivity with flights covering distances up to 800 km through a market-based mechanism. Forty-three cities are expected to be linked on India’s flight connectivity grid.