Liquor, ganja consumption rampant in airport parking areas; director writes to police

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) authorities has flagged serious concerns about the security and safety of flyers, drawing the city police commissioner’s attention towards rampant antisocial activities in parking areas.

Airport director Prasanna Pradhan wrote a long letter to police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh in this connection, marking copies to the home secretary and DGP, urging him to issue necessary directions to the police station concerned and patrolling teams to intensify surveillance.


He wrote that antisocial elements turned the city-side area and parking of the airport into their dens. The unlawful practice of drinking and smoking ganja in the parking area, and unruly behaviour of autorickshaw and cab operators was pitiable, he added.

“This is to bring to your notice that BPIA is a place requiring stringent security measures. The city-side ambience of the airport creates the first impression for passengers coming to the state, and therefore it must maintain the highest standard of safety, orderliness and sanctity ... But it is extremely pitiable that, of late, the airport witnessed ruckus scenes. Antisocial elements join cab and auto operators to make matters worse,” the letter read.

Additionally, he wrote that certain groups, at times, attempted unauthorized control of parking management. “The parking areas are being repeatedly used by antisocial elements for consumption of liquor and smoking ganja, with empty bottles and related litter being found there,” the letter said.

Outside the airport’s operational and terminal building is a sprawling 65-acre area, out of which 12-15 acres are used for daily activities such as parking, passage, vehicular movement, the Air Traffic Control tower and administrative building. The area in front of the old domestic terminal (now the international terminal) has layers of parking space for staff and other members. This place, BPIA officials said, was used by mischievous elements to create a nuisance and drink liquor. The remaining area has staff quarters, electrical and solar power installations, and CISF facilities, airport officials said.

“We have robust security for our internal operations, passenger frisking and surveillance of suspicious elements, which are carried out routinely by the CISF. But we don’t have control over the area outside,” the director said.