Unpacking pending CISF dues across Indian airports

The center explained that the dues pending the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for airport security services, which are estimated at 3000 rupees, are cumulative cumulative at the sector level, which are not attributed to any one -airport operator. The dues are linked to passenger security fees (PSF), which are legal fees collected from their passengers by airport operators to finance CISF deployment.

The accumulated from the Covid-19 (2020-21) epidemic is when air travel decreased and many operators were unable to transport PSF groups on time. At its peak, the country’s shortage was said to have touched 5,000 rupees. Although air travel has been recovered since then, as it has achieved improved revenues for airports operators, the arrears have not been fully resolved yet. As of mid -2015, the suspended amount narrowed to about 3000 rupees, according to officials familiar with the matter.

According to sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA), accumulation has since been reduced, with still about 3000 suspended rupees. This is spread in each of the public and private airports operators, including the Adani, GMR, GVK and India airports (AII).

An official said: “These dues are gradually cleared, and there is no single operator who is the only official,” an official said.

The issue of unpaid dues to CISF has escalated by each of the private airports operators and those run by the AII airport body (AII) to serious concern. In 2018, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was said to have warned against the withdrawal of CISF employees from airports if the due payments were not wiped. The situation prompted the intervention of the Prime Minister’s office, which intervened to defuse the tensions and ensure the continuity of airport security services.

To bring the temple and transparency to finance airport security, the government created the confidence of the national aviation security fees (NASFT) in 2019. PSF confidence is given, and the previous regime was replaced as the individual airport operators managed these transactions directly. Under NASFT, airport operators now transfer PSF money to one audit group, which is then disbursed to security agencies based on operational requirements. This is not only permitted to control better, but also ensures timely deployment of employees via airports, regardless of the ownership of the operator or the volume of traffic.

CISF employees are deployed in approximately 70 civilian airports throughout India and constitute the essence of the country’s security infrastructure. Their financing is very important to the safe airport operations, but the high volumes of passengers and advanced security threats have sparked pressure on both the workforce and financing.

According to sources in Mea, all airport operators are on the right path to wipe their dues over the five years to the next six, as air traffic and revenue are normalized after birth.