The Central Industrial Security Force has decided to do away with security stamps on hand baggage at six major airports in the country – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The new rule will be in affect from December 15, reported PTI.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting between the CISF, which is responsible for airport security, and senior officials of major airlines operating in the domestic sector. “Passengers can get their other security checks done and board their flights. This is a passenger-friendly measure that we have initiated,” CISF Director General OP Singh said. The facility will be extended to other airports after receiving feedback on the pilot project.

CISF officials said the security tag on hand baggage, meant to certify that the luggage is safe to be carried in the plane, has become redundant with advanced technology and trained security personnel being in place.

The CISF said the security tag provision has often led to altercations between passengers and security personnel in the past where people were asked to go back and get the tag when their hand baggage were found missing the same. “Keeping several issues in mind we proposed to start this project which we are sure will be successful,” Singh said.

The senior officials also discussed security measures and cooperation during Thursday’s meeting. The airlines officials have reportedly asked the CISF to add to their dog squad to ensure that “response time and threat clearance for a flight under check is reduced”. “The DG requested the airport operators to coordinate with CISF in a pro-active manner by providing for speedy clearance of passengers,” the CISF told the news agency.

The security agency said the meeting was called because “recent terror attacks globally at various airports demands active participation of various stakeholders for safe and secure environment and need was felt to enhance the participation of different agencies.”