Centre plans to fund night-landing facilities in Chhattisgarh airports

 The Centre is taking steps to install night-landing facilities at airports and runways in Maoist-infested Chhattisgarh, four weeks after a deadly Maoist attack in the state claimed the lives of over a dozen personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Ill-equipped airports had hampered the Indian Air Force’s efforts to ferry CRPF troops who were gravely injured in the December 1 attack in Sukma district. Fourteen soldiers died and 12 others sustained injuries; and the absence of night-landing facilities potentially claimed some of their lives.

In light of this, the Centre has told the Chhattisgarh government to instruct collectors in 12 Maoist-affected districts to install night-landing facilities on airstrips. The move would enable speedy induction of troops and evacuation of injured personnel.

The Union Home Ministry is to treat the incurred expenditure as security related and reimburse the state government. The Airports Authority of India has also been to told to equip the airfield in Jagadalpur with night-landing facilities so flights can operate after dark.

A high-level panel headed by former CRPF director general K Vijay Kumar had been set up by the Centre to look into the problems faced by security forces after the December 1 attack.

Among its recommendations was equipping airports and airstrips for night-time operations.

Security agencies like the CRPF, which is in the forefront of anti-Maoist operations, had been furious over the delay in the evacuation of its personnel injured in the Sukma attack. The Air Force could not operate its chopper that night.