Srinagar, February 21 (KNO) : A week after the deadly attack on the CRPF convoy at Lethpora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, the Government of India Thursday granted sanction to even lower rung officers of paramilitary CRPF and other forces to travel directly to Srinagar from New Delhi.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the new plan will be implemented from February 21 onwards and the “personnel of the CRPF and other paramilitary forces deployed in the Kashmir will now be able to take a commercial flight to join duty or while going on leave as the government Thursday issued authorisation orders, in the wake of the killing of 40 CRPF men in a deadly attack on their convoy in Pulwama on February 14.
The orders, a copy of which is with the KNO, reads that the Government 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).
It said the decision will immediately benefit approximately 8 lakh paramilitary personnel of the ranks of constable, head constable and assistant sub-inspector who were otherwise not eligible earlier. The facility, it said, is "in addition" to the existing air courier services for CAPFs where an entire aircraft is booked for the force personnel from either Delhi or Jammu to Srinagar and back.
A senior official told KNO that personnel and sub-officers, the ranks who were killed in the February 14 suicide attack in Pulwama in J-K, will now be able to book tickets in commercial flights and claim reimbursement from their organisation or force. “The move will help reduce the security threats and risks involved on road travel,” he told KNO, wishing not to be named.(KNO)