Air courier services for Central Armed Police Force personnel not suspended

: The Air courier services for Central Armed Police Force personnel have not been suspended, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday.

The Ministry, in a statement, made it clear that "the services are running since July 2010", and that the "privatization of Air India resulted in a slight delay in the finalization of tenders by the Border Security Force".

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has already granted approval for continuation of services by Air India," mentioned the statement.

"The tender has also been finalized and orders are under issue. The amount due on account of air travel would also be paid as per rules," the statement informed.

The clarification comes after Congress slammed the Centre for allegedly suspending Air courier services for Central Armed Police Force personnel, and demanded that air transit services be restored. Congress also demanded an apology from the government for risking the lives of CAPF personnel.

In a statement, Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also had said the country lost 44 of its brave soldiers of the CRPF in the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir on February 14, 2019, due to the suspension of the same air courier service. He said this attack happened because the CRPF personnel were going by buses to join duty through this very sensitive area.

( With inputs from ANI )