Paramilitary jawans deployed in Kashmir allowed air travel; govt issues order after Pulwama attack

Union home ministry has issued order allowing the paramilitary forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to take commercial flights.

CRPF jawans deployed in Jammu and Kashmir can now take commercial flights if they go on leave or come back to join duty. The Union home ministry on Thursday, exactly a week after the deadly terror attack on paramilitary forces in south Kashmir, approved entitlement of air travel on the relevant sectors. This will benefit about 7.80 lakh paramilitary jawans, a release by the home ministry said.

Pulwama: Security forces' personnel sanitize the area during a gunbattle with the militants in which the top commander of the Jaish and Lethpora attack mastermind Kamran was killed along with his associate Hilal Ahmad, a local recruited by the terror group, at Pinglan area of Pulwama in south Kashmir, Monday, February 18, 2019. Four Army personnel, including a Major, were also martyred in the encounter. (PTI Photo/S Irfan) (PTI2_18_2019_000200B)(AP)

The home ministry order said that it “has approved the entitlement of air travel on Delhi-Srinagar, Srinagar-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu sectors to all the personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)”.

The jawans “in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable and ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier”, can now fly in commercial flights “while going on leave from Jammu and Kashmir to home and return.”

Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh said the latest order of his ministry is a “path-breaking” decision for the security forces. “This is a path-breaking decision. It’s going to be a huge relief and also a show of respect to our security personnel,” news agency ANI quoted Singh, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Udhampur constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, as saying.

This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave, the government order said.

This comes in the wake of Pulwama terror attack last week when a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was targeted by the terrorists. At least 40 jawans of the paramilitary force lost their lives in the attack that took place when the convoy of 78 vehicles was carrying more than 2,500 jawans from Jammu to Srinagar.

The convoy was targeted on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in south Kashmir’s Pulwama. After the latest government order, the jawans will now be able to book tickets in commercial flights and claim reimbursement from their organisation or force.