The Union Home Ministry has resumed the air courier service for ferrying the paramilitary personnel proceeding on leave or joining duties in Jammu and Kashmir as also the Northeast.
The services were discontinued from September 1 following non-receipt of approval from the Union Home Ministry. The air courier service was initiated after the Pulwama terror attack.
The Ministry accorded approval for seven months from September 1 till March 31 next year.
“It is requested to resume air courier service on all approved routes of NE (Northeast) and J&K Sectors w.e.f. from 16th Sept 2021as per scheduled days and time. A confirmation may please be communicated to this HQr,” reads a communication titled “Resuming of Air Courier Service for CAPFs personnel” issued on Friday by the BSF to Senior Manager (Commercial), Marketing planning of Air India here.
On February 21, 2019, the Ministry had allowed extension of air travel in respect of non-entitled personnel of CAPFs, AR (Assam Rifles) and NSG deployed in the Kashmir Valley to travel by air. The order allowed the facility of air travel to the jawans and other rank officers who were otherwise not entitled to travel by air.
The order came following a deadly terror attack on a CRPF convoy on February 14, 2019 in Pulwama which took a toll of 40 paramilitary lives. The terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) had led the Indian Air Force to carry out an aerial raid at Balakot’s jehad factory of the banned terrorist group.
The CAPFs include Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and National Security Guards (NSG).
Apart from being safe, the air courier service for the jawans and other non-gazetted officers of the paramilitary forces significantly cuts down on the travel time on both the routes-from Jammu to Srinagar and back and from Jammu to Delhi and back.
The air courier facility is available from Jammu to Srinagar and back on official duty/transfer/tour and leave (on termination/commencement at base point at Jammu).The service is also available from Delhi to Srinagar and back on official duty /transfer/tour.