Ker govt to expand state industrial security force

: The Kerala government on Tuesday decided to expand its State Industrial Security Force (SISF) along the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) by creating 2,000 additional posts.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, decided to create the additional posts in the Force in two phases in this regard, a CMO statement said here.

The objective of the expansion is to provide the service of the force to more establishments, it said adding in the first phase 1,000 new posts would be created.

At present, the force has 979 members and the government's plan is to enhance the head-count to 3,000, the statement said.

The creation of new posts would be in accordance with the guidelines of the state Finance Department.

A committee would be formed with Additional Chief Secretary (Home) as chairman and state police chief as member, which will submit a report regarding the appointment, training and deployment of the newly recruited SISF personnel, the release added.

The SISF had been constituted in 2011 to provide security to major establishments in the public and private sectors in the state.

The Cabinet also decided to set up a state Health Agency for the smooth execution of the Karunya Health Insurance scheme, it said.

A total of Rs 961.24 crore would be granted from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund for the repairing damaged roads, coming under the local self-government institutions, it said.

As per the figures, 11,880 km roads had been damaged and destroyed in villages and towns across the state due to floods this year, the release added.