In order to prevent misuse of charter flights and choppers by various political parties and its leaders, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Air Traffic Control to maintain a record and also inform the poll body well in advance.
Politicians, who have been availing the facility of using their vehicles for going right up to aircraft and exempted from safety checks of their baggage, will now have to get them checked by security personnel.
They have been also directed to inform ECI and Income Tax authorities in case of large quantity of case being detected on charter choppers, jets and even commercial flights. The District Election Officials have held a high level meeting with officials from Customs, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Airports Authority of India, Delhi Police, CISF and private carrier operators among others to finalise standard operating procedures ahead of lok Sabha polls. The officials also inspected the airport to assess the preparedness to cut flow of black money.
Talking to media, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ankur Garg said that politicians who have been availing the facility of using their vehicles for going right up to aircraft and exempted from safety checks of their baggage, will now have to get them checked by security personnel. “All baggage, including hand baggage of persons and passengers, who are not exempted under Rules but permitted to avail the facility of vehicle for going up to aircraft, shall also be screened by CISF and State police,” Garg said, adding that DEOs brought city airports under scanner to curb flow of black money in the run to lok Sabha polls, while directing the civil aviation agencies to keep a vigil on movement of baggage carried by politicians. During the election process, all rules and procedures with regard to frisking and checking of persons and baggage should be strictly enforced without any exception. In a slew of initiatives, it has also directed the authorities to inform it about hiring of chartered planes by political parties and their movement schedules.
Clipped wings
For those airstrips and helipads, which fall in remote areas and do not come under commercial category, the flying squads of police have been authorised to carry out screening of baggage, except of handheld purse of a woman, coming out of the aircraft
Any unauthorised arms, contraband goods, cash exceeding Rs 50,000 belonging to any candidate and agent or party functionary will be investigated and considered for seizure in case of unsatisfactory explanations
For landing of helicopters at remote areas, the candidate or party member will have to inform the DEO concerned 24 hours in advance mentioning details of the travel for adequate safety and security measure to be made
Every candidate will have to also inform the Returning Officer within five days of landing of aircraft and helicopter about the hiring charges Enforcement agencies CISF, Delhi Police and Income Tax Department will videograph all actions related to detection or seizure of goods and cash at the airports
The enforcement agencies like Delhi Police and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will specially focus on movement of cash above Rs 10 lakh or bullion above 1 kilo through Delhi airports
In case of such detections, the security agencies will have to immediately inform the Income Tax Department, which in turn, will make necessary verifications. And in case of unsatisfactory replies, cash and bullions will be seized and necessary legal action will be initiated