The Hindu : Lax security at airport

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Lax security at airport

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 13. Concerned by the recent Al Qaeda bombings at Madrid in Spain and reports of lackadaisical screening of passenger baggage at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, a passenger on the Sydney-bound flight of Singapore Airlines called up The Hindu just before boarding his flight on Friday evening to inform how the personnel manning the X-ray machine at the airport appeared least bothered about the contents in his baggage as it went through the mandatory check.

An Australian citizen, Sanjeev Sharma, called up around 9 p.m., minutes before he was to board his Singapore Airlines flight (408) to Sydney, to complain about the conduct of the two personnel who were manning the X-ray scanners (No. 5 and 6) for check-in baggage at the airport. "As the baggage was passing through the scanner, one of the two men, both in uniform, was looking the other way while his colleague was busy laughing with someone else at the time.

Of the view that such an approach could cost the lives of hundreds should any explosive pass off in any passengers baggage, Mr Sharma said he was horrified at the conduct of the personnel in these times of global terrorism. "I travel almost twice a month in connection with my business, but never have I seen the approach of the security personnel so lax with respect to their duty, he charged, adding that at least the government agencies should show greater responsibility towards the security of the passengers and the aircraft.

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