Spotting an opportunity in the counter-terrorism business, the government is considering quadrupling security consultancy service rates provided by the Central Industrial Security Force to private businesses.
This proposal comes even as the government has placed a Bill in Parliament this session to enable this specialised central para-military force to provide the full range of security services to private sector business on a paid basis.
"We have been flooded with enquiries from the private sector for CISF deployment at their premises after the Mumbai attack," Home Ministry sources said, adding that it has been approached by major media houses, television channels, temple managements, prestigious schools, private refineries and hotels.
Sources added that the United Progressive Alliance government drafted the Bill following a request from two Indian IT giants, Infosys and Wipro, to the Prime Minister's Office that they were highly vulnerable to terrorist strikes. A major private sector refinery had also sought government attention on this issue.
The CISF is the country's only cost-reimbursement force. It was raised in 1969 to provide security to public sector undertakings and key national installations and, later, VIPs.
The force was authorised to provide consultancy services to private businesses in 2002. Its fees range from Rs 50,000 to 1.25 lakh, depending on the type of company. "The rates were fixed in 2002 and are due for revision,'' sources said.
CISF has so far provided consultancy services to at least 65 businesses across the country. Most of these are owned by the state or the Centre or have government connections -- like the Indian Institutes of Technology in Kharagpur and Chennai, NTPC, some ONGC installations, the Nizam's jewellery collection in Hyderabad and so on.
Among prominent private firms to avail of CISF's services are ICICI Bank in New Delhi; Reliance at Jamnagar, Gujarat; Hero Honda at Dharuhera, Haryana; Tata Steel and Infosys.
Meanwhile, CISF is likely to recruit at least 15,000 constables next month to augment its manpower of 144,000.
