Govt sanctions armed CISF cover for Reliance Jio World Centre in Mumbai

The Union government has sanctioned armed security cover of over 200 CISF personnel to guard the recently launched Jio World Centre, a business and entertainment centre in Mumbai developed by RIL

The Union government has sanctioned armed security cover of over 200 CISF personnel to guard the recently launched Jio World Centre, a business and entertainment centre in Mumbai developed by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

The centre, touted to be about 12 times larger than a FIFA football field and 10.3 times the size of the Empire State Building in New York, has come up on an 18.5 acre campus at the tony Bandra Kundra Complex (BKC) in Maharashtra's capital city.

This will be the third RIL installation to be brought under the security umbrella of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The Reliance IT Park in Navi Mumbai and the Reliance Refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, were earlier accorded security cover of the central paramilitary force.

RIL promoters Mukesh Ambani and his wife and founder-chairperson of the Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani are protectees of the CRPF VIP security wing.

About 230 CISF personnel will be deployed at the centre, and they will provide counter-terrorist cover to the facility. The force will take over the duty by month-end, official sources told PTI.

The CISF was tasked to secure the Jio World Centre after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reviewed threat assessment reports prepared by central security agencies against possible terrorist and sabotage threats it could face.

The centre will see a huge daily footfall of people that includes scores of employees, visitors and dignitaries, they said.

Announcing the launch of the centre early this month, RIL had said it will have a phased opening over the course of the current year and the next.

"A first-of-its kind destination in India, the Jio World Centre includes a cultural centre, a musical fountain, an upscale retail experience, a curated selection of cafes and fine dining restaurants, serviced apartments and offices, and the state-of-the-art convention facility," it had said.

CISF personnel to be posted at the facility will be deployed in a quick reaction team (QRT) pattern, as part of which they will keep vigil from vantage positions using sophisticated weapons and vehicles for swift movement, officials said.

The regular entry and exit will be manned by private security guards provided by the company, which will also pay for the security cover and arrange for housing facilities for the security personnel, they said.

This will be 12th private sector establishment under the CISF cover.

Others include the Bharat Biotech Limited campus in Hyderabad, three Infosys campuses in Bengaluru, Pune and Mysuru, Nayara Energy Ltd in Jamnagar, Hotel Terminal 1C at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, Tata Steel facility in Kalinganagar, Odisha, Electronic City, Bengaluru, and the Patanjali food and herbal park in Haridwar.

The force was authorised to secure private establishments in the country, like those in the government sector, after an amendment was brought in the CISF Act following the 2008 Mumbai terror attack where five-star hotels were attacked by Pakistani terrorists.