The Central Industrial Security Force has asked the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to make Aadhaar cards mandatory for all Delhi airport employees starting January 1, reported The Indian Express. The CISF, which is responsible for airport security, says such a rule will prevent “unwanted activities” by employees.
The CISF has proposed that Airport Entry Permits not be issued without Aadhaar cards. All employees are frisked by security personnel before entering the complex. The CISF wants to add one more layer of security so that the existing plastic ID cards issued to the employees can be replaced with ID cards linked to the biometric system along with the Aadhaar card number.
The agency believes that this will make the security system at the country’s busiest airport foolproof by keeping access to secure areas limited to authorised employees. The card will also contain the pass-holder’s details.
CISF Director General OP Singh said, “The existing passes are renewed every year. The deadline for renewing passes that were expiring this month has been extended to March 31. For others, carrying Aadhaar will be mandatory.” The step was proposed after several incidents where reported where sacked employees gained access to the airport complex through various hiring agencies.
“After they started working with the new agency, they applied for fresh AEPs and after accessing entry, they started committing wrongful activities again,” an unidentified official told the newspaper. Singh has also asked the chief airport security officer of the Indira Gandhi International airport to maintain a record of dismissed employees to avoid such situations. Singh said the step was necessary to avoid unauthorised entry.
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