Centre seeks security audit of pvt installations

NEW DELHI: Keen to insulate nuclear and defence establishments, iconic structures, major religious shrines and key industrial establishments in the private, public as well as joint sector from terror attacks, the Centre has asked them to conduct a security audit to assess their security requirements and accordingly upgrade their protective cover.

Stating that it was imperative to review the security set up of each of the aforesaid installations in line with the latest requirements, Union home minister P Chidambaram, while briefing reporters at the end of the chief ministers��� meeting on internal security here, said the requirements could either be assessed by the state government or the establishment���s own private security, or by both.

Stating that the security upgrade efforts at vital installations, both public and private, had begun, Mr Chidambaram said a few establishments had already been asked to conduct security audit. Depending on the audit report, a decision is likely to be taken on CISF deployment.

With the government having promulgated an ordinance amending the CISF Act to allow the Central force to protect private concerns, the security audit is expected to be carried out by corporates like Tatas, Reliance (for its Jamnagar refinery), Oberoi Group and IT majors like Infosys. All the four have approached the government seeking CISF cover for their concerns. The security audit would also cover oil PSUs, refineries located near the coast, ports, IT concerns, stock exchanges and big hotels in metros and on beaches frequented by foreign tourists.

Even as CISF struggles with its limited manpower to extend security to private sector concerns, at least one of the states ��� Maharashtra ��� has offered to raise its own State Industrial Security Force to guard its vital installations. ���May be other states will follow suit,��� hoped Mr Chidambaram.

Conceding that some of the chief ministers had expressed reservations regarding the new legislations enacted by the Centre ��� the NIA Act, UAPA Amendment Act and CrPC Amendment Act ��� Mr Chidambaram said he would soon write to all the state governments explaining in detail the scope and contents of the these Acts in an effort to clear any misunderstandings regarding their implementation.

Hoping that his clarification would remove the apprehensions of the states, Mr Chidambaram however said that the chief ministers could always write back him in the event of persisting concerns. He also reminded of his assurance to Parliament that these Acts could be revisited when the House reconvened for the Budget Session in February.

Mr Chidambaram, who said that all the 27 chief ministers as well as UT administrators had offered their total and unconditional support in the fight against terror, pointed out that the struggle against terror could be won only with the help of certain key measures.