Centre fails to keep promise to provide security to industry

The UPA government had announced after the Mumbai attack that it would provide a central industrial security force (CISF) cover to private companies, but the promise, like many other knee-jerk announcements after 26/11, has failed to realise.

In an embarrassment to the Centre, CISF has so far secured only two private firms — 107 other multinationals are still living in fear of terrorists.

Soon after the terror attack in Mumbai, prime minister Manmohan Singh had written to the home ministry to secure “national assets” Infosys, Wipro and the Reliance oil refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat. However, only one “national asset”, Infosys, has been secured so far.

The only other installation that has received CISF protection is Bangalore Electronic City.

“Thirty-three high-priority units have been identified - mainly IT, power and oil companies. A total of 107 firms had demanded protection post 26/11,” CISF director general NR Das said.

He said massive recruitment and training of personnel was needed to provide security to all 107 firms.

“We have recruited over 20,000 personnel since the attack and another 5,000 are being employed,” Das said.

CISF experts said there had been a surge in the number of multinationals seeking protection. “We have also received requests from hospitals, schools and hotels,” Das said, adding that hotels were low on priority.

“The decision to provide security is based on the threat perception to an installation, the area where it is located and the type of industry. Installations that have not been provided security can depend on state police,” he said.

The director general said forces had been withdrawn from public sector companies — one in Jammu and Kashmir and another in Maharashtra — unable to afford CISF.