The State Home Department is considering the requests by banks and financial institutions for employing armed security guards for their ATMs and banking establishments.

Addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of the sixth ‘Security Today Knowledge Summit - 2012’ here on Friday, Principal Secretary to Home Department, V Umesh said some banks and financial institutions have requested the government to permit hiring of armed guards and the request was under consideration.

He said the government was planning to develop the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) and the process to recruit 3,700 candidates for various posts is on. The government has sanctioned three battalions for the KSISF, which is operating from Henna Nagar.

As many as 1,771 candidates have been recruited for constables’ posts and the training for the new recruits was on, he added. The Union government passed the Private Securities Act in 2005 and Karnataka adopted the law in 2008. Currently, there are 800 registered private security agencies in the State with a staff strength of 4.5 lakh.

Umesh said that private security agencies were playing a major role in the protection of vital installations, private and public offices in the State. The government has taken several measures to improve the skills of the staff of the private security agencies. The private security need to acquaint themselves with the latest technology, he said.

The workshop analyses security aspects of Karnataka and India. Experts will deliberate and make recommendations for the modification of the Act. The State government has decided to organise such workshops every year. 

Editor-in-chief Security Today G B Singh and IGP Internal Security Bhaskar Rao were present.