Major industries have come up in the private sector, in the joint sector and more and more industries are coming up in the joint sector. There are also other establishments, heritage establishments, iconic establishments, which have to be protected. Although the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was originally raised to provide security to the public sector industrial undertakings that concept has undergone change over the years.
The duty of the CISF is to protect and safeguard industrial undertakings and their employees. It is not its business to take sides or intervene in industrial disputes or law and order disputes. In fact, if they do anything like that it will be clearly breach of duty. Their duty is only to protect the installation and its employees.
Therefore, I think these apprehensions are unnecessary. When the standing committee raised the issues, the home secretary appeared before the standing committee and assured the standing committee that there were standard operating procedures (SOPs). SOPs are clearly laid down that the CISF will not intervene in any dispute of any kind, whether it is land or labour or production or movement of trucks. None of that is the business of the CISF. That is the business of the state police, the law and order machinery. The business of the CISF is to protect the installation or the establishment.
In fact, I have specifically asked this question to the senior officers of the CISF who are present in the Officers’ gallery: Has there been any instance where labour has complained that the CISF has intervened in an industrial dispute or a labour issue? The answer is, since, of course, the senior officers come on deputation, no known case in the last five years.
Shri SS Ahluwaliaji raised the issue of watch and ward. I think he is right. It is not the business of the CISF to provide watch and ward duties. Maybe because they have a large number today, 1,12,000 personnel and only 280 establishments, it is possible that in some cases they are doing watch and ward duty. But that is not the business of the CISF.
Their functions will be divided into two parts; critical functions and non-critical functions. Non-critical function is the management’s business to arrange their own watch and ward staff or whatever security staff. Critical function will be provided by the CISF.
What is critical function? The CISF will have the striking power, the fire power, because no other person can carry a prohibitive bore weapon. Their function is to ensure that they have the fire power and the striking power to deter any terrorist threat or assault. In support of that function, of course, the management of the enterprise will engage a number of other people, maybe, a private security force. But we are making it clear that in its day-to-day operations, it will be under the overall command of the CISF.
Secondly, we have made it clear that we intend to go heavily into modern technology and modern gadgetry. We have identified infrared-based video cameras, laser beams for perimeter protection, biometric- or radio frequency-based identity cards, radio frequency-based vehicle identification, boom barriers, bollards, undercarriage checking system, xray baggage inspection system, multi-zone DFMDs and handheld metal detectors, and integrated control room with recording facility. Priority will be given to the petroleum and natural gas, IT and communications, airports, power sector and sea ports.
Imagine what happened when the oil sector officers struck work for 2-3 days. The economy can come to a grinding halt. Therefore, these are the sectors, which are categorised in first priority. In second priority, we have put mining and steel. And, in the third priority, we have put some other establishments.
We must leave it to the senior officers of the CISF to evaluate the security threat to the establishment and the nature of the protection that it requires. I don’t think we can lay down any hard and fast rule.
We do not have a mahila battalion in the CISF and the reason, I believe, is that CISF is not organised on a battalion pattern. Except for six reserves battalions, CISF is deployed in units and the strength of the unit will depend upon the size of the establishment and the nature of the requirements. And, when they are deployed in units, some women are also deployed. We have 5,000 women in the CISF and I hope that many more will join and I hope Shri Ahluwalia will encourage people from Jharkhand to join. I want many more women to join because I think women can do this job just as well as men can do. Shri Ahluwalia, of course, raised a number of issues about cadre. All these will be attended to. This is not in the Bill. (Interruptions)
There are more important things now. At the moment, we have to get our laws together. You were good enough to pass two laws in the last session. Please pass this one and one more, from my friend. That is part of the security infrastructure. It’s important we pass these laws. People are happy that Parliament is quickly responding to the situation in passing these laws.
On cost reimbursement, we have made it very clear. It will be deployed on a cost reimbursement basis as opposed to a cost plus basis. The purpose of CISF cover is not to make a profit. This is not a commercial activity in that sense. This is, in fact, a sovereign activity. The sovereign has to provide security. But, today, there is a well-established accounting procedures and billing procedures by which even PSUs are getting this cover on a cost-reimbursement basis. Let me assure you, the same principles will be extended to the private sector and joint sector. They will have to reimburse every single pie that the CISF incurs in providing security. There is no question of any discrimination between the private sector and public sector.
Home Minister P Chidambaram in the Rajya sabha, replying to the debate on the Central Industrial Security Force (Amendment) Bill, 2008, February 19, 2009
