Govt Approves Air Travel for Central Armed Police Forces in J&K

This comes days after The Quint reported that the request for air transit made by the CRPF was rejected.

At least 39 CRPF personnel were killed in an IED blast in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.

(Photo: PTI)

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday, 21 February, approved air travel for all personnel of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces, including CRPF, on Delhi-Srinagar, Srinagar-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu sectors.

The decision will immediately benefit approximately 7,80,000 personnel.

This comes days after The Quint reported that the request for air transit made by the CRPF, for the convoy which was attacked in Pulwama, was rejected by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Sources in the CRPF had told The Quint that the proposal for air transit of the jawans was sent to the MHA in 2017 but it got buried in the files.

The CRPF issued a press release saying with the air transit facility, the convoy will continue to transport logistic and men.

The facility of traveling by air from Jammu to Srinagar, Srinagar to Jammu, Srinagar to Delhi, and Delhi to Srinagar has now been extended to all personnel of CAPF, Assam Rifles, and NSG travelling on official duty/transfer/tour/leave. However, the movement of convoy will continue to operate to transport logistic/men as and when required with adequate security measures.   

Here is the MHA’s notification allowing air travel for CAPF personnel:

Government notification permitting air travel for Central Armed Police Forces.