Gone are the days when you found private security guards only in industries and factory set-ups
A training session for guards at one of the facilities in Anna Nagar. (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Private security agencies have become a multi-crore business in the last two decades and it is good that regulatory authorities are having a tight noose over their functioning, say people in the industry. Gone are the days when you found private security guards only in industries and factory set-ups.
“Nowadays, from religious institutions to educational institutions, private security agencies provide manpower across industries,” says Capt.Shibu Isacc, chairman, Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) (TN & Puducherry chapter). Private guards are required for shopping malls, IT companies, private banks and residential colonies.
Capt. Shibu says security agencies have become a support system for police. “Take for instance, a residential area like Gandhi Nagar in Adyar. There will be at least 50 guards there and over a period of time the camaraderie with the local beat officers increase and this helps cops in policing,” he says.
With the increase in rules, the pay has also increased in the recent years. Industry insiders say that guards get an average pay of Rs 8, 000 compared to the meagre Rs 3, 000-Rs 5, 000 five years ago. In the case of banks, the private ones pay even up to Rs 15,000 as they do not want to compromise on security. However, nationalised banks are yet to catch up and still prefer elders persons for meager salaries to guard the ATMs.
“What they don’t realise is apart from the security of the ATM, the man’s life is also under threat in case of an intruder,” says a senior police officer adding that police have time and again advised against the practice of employing old men as guards, especially for ATMs.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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