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 approved their entitlement of air travel on the relevant sectors. This will benefit about 7.80 lakh paramilitary jawans, a release by the home ministry said.
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.”
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.
First Published:
Feb 21, 2019 15:08 IST
Source: HindustanTimes