Security Sans Scrutiny: Private Security Sector Under Scanner
Dr Ramesh also noted that background verification is overlooked and some employees possess multiple identification cards, showing the failure of agencies.
Hyderabad: Every mall, hospital, bank, company or industry employs security guards. But the question is — are they authorised? Half of them are not. Do they have any employee benefits? Private security agencies often skip PF or health benefits. Are they trained? To save ₹20,000 per person, companies simply hand them a uniform without training. Telangana has approximately five lakh private security agency employees working in various sectors, while only two lakh are employed with authorised agencies. The rest go unnoticed. Meanwhile, background checks — the responsibility of the police — are often ignored.
Cyberabad commissioner Dr M. Ramesh said, “Private security agencies must follow through the guidelines of PSARA (Private Security Agencies Regulations Act). However, the retired army employees who are applying for jobs are applying with their personal arms licences. Any private agency with weapons or gunmen must be weeded out.”
Backing this statement, C. Bhasker Reddy, chairman of the Association of Private Security Agencies for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, said the Act does not mention the carrying of weapons and stressed that it is illegal. He pointed out that although the Act does not permit it, agencies or banks allow it and the police have never objected.
Dr Ramesh also noted that background verification is overlooked and some employees possess multiple identification cards, showing the failure of agencies. Many move to different places after retirement, take up jobs and evade GST and income tax, while enjoying salary perks.
In the recent theft case in Gachibowli, driver Ajith of a cash management company sped away with ₹57 lakh. A source said the accused was identified with three identity cards belonging to Vizag, Delhi and Bihar. In another incident in Balanagar, four security guards stole 500 kilos of copper wires from an under-construction apartment. Both cases highlight the lack of background verification and employment of unauthorised agency staff.
Telangana alone has five lakh employees working for 850 private security agencies, while only two lakh are with authorised agencies. The rest do not have PF or health benefits, unlike authorised companies which provide licences and benefits. Across India, there are approximately one crore employees, but only 40,000 companies are licensed.
Bhasker Reddy further said agencies must tie up with training academies and sign MoUs, but most hardly adhere to it. “Now 90 per cent of them are untrained,” he explained. “Anyone interested in establishing an agency has to apply through the Intelligence Security Wing (ISW), after which there will be a training session for the applicants too on dos and don’ts.
The 20-page application includes certificates like ESI, PF, GST, labour licence under PSARA. During the hiring process, they must undergo training. However, most agencies do not take it up as the charges are ₹20,000 per head.”
