State's own industrial security force taking shape

However, Karnataka lacks training facility for its constables

Karnataka’s ambitions to set up its own industrial security force on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has taken off with 139 officers of the sub-inspector rank beginning a nine-month training at the CISF’s National Institute of Security Academy in Hakimpet, Secunderabad.

While the officers of Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) are exultant about having completed their first week of training, the State has been struggling to find an academy to train the 1,731 constables of the force. The force has an initial, authorised strength of three battalions which the State Police department has found difficult to staff with trained personnel.

A senior officer from the State Police department explained that the Karnataka Police does not have enough expertise to train personnel exclusively for industrial security and added that there are no slots available within the CISF to train the men. “They say they cannot accommodate our constables,” he said.

Homegrown modules

While efforts are still on to persuade the CISF to try and accommodate them at one of its other training centres, the Additional Director-General of Police (Internal Security) Alok Mohan has constituted a committee comprising three senior officers to formulate the syllabus and training module for the constables.

“The committee is headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police and has two other officers of the superintendent of police rank,” a source said, adding that they have already begun work in this regard.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Director General and Inspector General of Police Lalrokhuma Pachau said: “Given that more than 50 per cent of the training programme is just like any other training module of the police force, we are examining this option.”

Once the three battalions are ready for deployment, they will protect industries, government undertakings and establishments, following CISF procedures. “The new force will relieve the burden on the local police which currently provides security to government undertakings, power and irrigation projects,” the senior officer said.

At the current time, the police is responsible for providing security to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) treasuries but in a recent meeting, the officer revealed that, “The RBI has sought the deployment of a specialised force to guard its treasuries and cash-in-transit vehicles. The KSISF will be ideal for such a purpose.”

He said that the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation  have shown interest in employing the force.

Airports and ports

The CISF guards only two airports in Karnataka––the Bengaluru International Airport and the Mangalore airport. “Given that they cannot guard all our airports, the KSISF will take on the responsibility of guarding the Belgaum, Mysore and Hubli airports,” the officer said, adding that the force will eventually also be deployed at various ports in the State. Karnataka has one major and nine minor ports.

A senior officer from the State police department explained that the training of the officers in Hakimpet will primarily focus on access control, perimeter protection, connected threat perception and risk analysis.