OM Bureau
Bhubaneswar:
Security being basically a matter of law and order, operators of private security agencies must not be allowed any more to run without being answerable to the State, the Director General of Orissa Police opines.
Lack of any law in this respect has helped mushrooming of security agencies in the private sector wherein more than 25000 persons are currently employed. As many as 350 agencies, registered mostly under the Companies Act are spread all over the State, the majority of whom sporting nearly 200 different titles operate from the State headquarters town of Bhubaneswar and the Police headquarters town of Cuttack. When the Constitution of India has given guarantee to every citizen to take up any avocation of his choice, and therefore there is no illegality in any body registering a company to operate a security agency, it is often seen that under cover of uniforms many a numbers of such security personnel have resorted to breech of law and have played havoc with security of the public. In course of its regular business, the Police have come to know of the nexus between some of such agencies and criminal gangs in the State. Even history-sheeters have found their shelters in some of such agencies and continuing their criminal activities under the guise of their agency uniforms. As many as 17 criminal cases against private security guards and their agencies being on records, the situation is ripe for having a leash on the constitution and conduct of the private security agencies.
The DGP is of the opinion that the State should enact a law granting the police appropriate power to monitor the private security agencies specifically in the area of their personnel. They should be subjected to affiliation with the Police as it is the State organ that alone is responsible at the root for security of the citizenry and for law and order of the State.
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