Absence of Private Security Personnel employed by services sector severe setback
Bangalore, 17th August 2012: The mass exodus of people of North Eastern states from Bangalore in the wake of baseless rumors has impacted the industrial sector in the state very hard, as majority of the private security personnel, who hail from Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya, have abstained from work fearing threat to their lives.
In Karnataka, of the 520,000 private security personnel, approximately 100,000 hail from North Eastern states. Several of them have stayed away from work since the last two days and some of them have even left for their hometowns.
“Their absence from work is a serious problem because thousands of private security guards have been employed by the IT companies, banking and financial institutions, hospitality sector, manufacturing sector, hospitals and retail sector. These sectors follow security protocols very strictly and the absence of the mandated number of security personnel has affected the essential services. We are in the process of convincing the security personnel to return to work,” said Flt. Lt. K.P. Nagesh, president, Karnataka Security Services Association (KSSA) in Bangalore on Friday.
The KSSA is the apex body of all the private security agencies officially registered in the state. Many of the member agencies of KSSA reported poor attendance of security personnel at the client sites. In some companies, 30 per cent of the approved and deployed strength of the security personnel stayed away from work. The worst hit sectors because of the prevailing situation are IT parks, banking and financial institutions, and manufacturing, as private security personnel are integral to their operations.
“Some of the hotels and malls have placed the security personnel on double shifts because of the unexpected development. However, IT parks and banks cannot afford to ignore the security aspects. We are trying to convince the security personnel hailing from the North Eastern region to return to work without any fear,” Flt. Lt. Nagesh added.
The KSSA representatives had a meeting with the police department and apprised the officers of the situation because private security personnel and the police are integral and complementary to the security of the city. The state government has assured full protection to and safety of the people from North Eastern region.
In the coming days, KSSA expects more security personnel of North Eastern origin to stay away from work. Therefore, the KSSA has planned several contingencies to tide over the human resources crisis. Recruitments are in full swing across the state and more and more ex-servicemen are being hired for the jobs.
According to KSSA, if the same trend of absence continues for the next one week, it could impact the GDP of the state. “Industrial productivity will be impacted because of the absence of private security personnel at the manufacturing plants. Their absence has a cascading effect on the industry in several ways. Therefore, we urge the government to normalize the situation at the earliest,” Flt. Lt. Nagesh said.
The KSSA is fully cooperating with the police and the state government to ensure that security is not compromised among any of the clients’ locations.
“We appreciate the state government’s efforts in protecting the interests of the people from North Eastern region. We urge the government to proactively rein in the people responsible for spreading unfounded rumors. We want Bangalore to remain a cosmopolitan city and contribute to the growth of the state,” Flt. Lt. Nagesh said.
The KSSA is monitoring the situation every day from the clients’ as well as employees’ perspectives. The KSSA on its own is also trying to reassure the private security personnel from the North Eastern region to stay back in Bangalore.
About Karnataka Security Services Association
Karnataka Security Services Association is a recognized and esteemed state organization of the security services agencies. The Association was formed to ensure that its members provide its potential clients ethical and competent security services. The Association is committed to promoting the interests of its members. The Association has a growing membership of over 200 companies in the state. Registered and recognized by the Government of Karnataka, the Association is a member of CAPSI, APDI, FKCCI and South Regional Advisory Board of Service Tax.
