Ficci recommends dedicated security force to guard cos

Fearing terrorists would target business establishments, Industry body Ficci has recommended development of a dedicated security force to guard firms and allow private security guards to carry weapons.

"The government must bring in necessary policy changes. In India, though the Private Security Agencies Act, 2005, has regulated private agencies, it still does not allow them to carry weapons. The security men guarding our monuments and ATMs have the kind of weapons that private citizens can buy if they have licence," a report by Ficci task force on National Security and Terrorism said.

It said all security agencies need not be given arms licences for automatic weapons. "The government will have to put in place some parameters for the security agencies..." the report read.

The task force observed that Mumbai attacks in 2008 were a clear signal to the corporates that they are indeed a major target of the dubious designs of terror groups.

"Terrorists are growing in intelligence and sophistication, and have access to greater resources, including both cash and weapons. As they search for new and vulnerable trophy targets, companies and business establishments are in their line of sight," it said.

The report said the Mumbai attacks and the repeated intelligence inputs about terrorist plans to target commercial and industrial centre such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi are clear warnings for the corporate India.

The task force was headed by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament and included Ajit Kumar Doval, former director, Intelligence Bureau and Ved Prakash Marwah, former Director General, NSG.

The first volume of the report has been handed over to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the task force is working on the second volume focusing on non-traditional issues linked to terror like money laundering and immigration.

It suggested companies to make security audit a constant and regular feature and invest in a fool-proof security programme.

When contacted Chairman of Central Association Private Security Industry Kunwar Vikram Singh said, "We have been demanding greater role for private security guards to protect private installations. We are in talk with industry bodies and associations to involve us in securing premises."