New Delhi: The government has reserved a
chunk of Air India seats every week to ferry ITBP troops
deployed for border guarding duties along the icy frontiers
with China.
105 seats have been reserved for the personnel in an Air
India plane that will take them every Saturday from Delhi to
Leh and bring an equal number back, a senior Indo-Tibetan
Border Police official said on Wednesday. It will carry ITBP
personnel and officials along with their equipment.
The decision has been taken by the Home Ministry in
consultation with the Civil Aviation Ministry in order to
minimise the hardships faced the troops while travelling for
their deployment areas along the frontiers and while coming
back from there during their leave period.
"The troops can subsequently leave for their destinations
from Delhi. The air courier will also carry the mail of the
personnel of the force which is subsequently dispatched to the
jawans and officers on the frontiers," the official said.
The force guards 3,488 kilometres of the Sino-Indian
frontiers and some of its forward posts are situated at
heights between 9,000 to 18,700 feet where temperature falls
to minus 50 degree Celsius during winters.
The air courier facility can also be utilised by troops
of other central security forces deployed in the Himalayan
areas for other duties and the force will request both the
Home and Civil Aviation Ministries to increase the seats in
the special flight, the official said.
PTI
