Govt set to frame fresh rules to regulate private security agencies; invites suggestions

With private security agencies becoming one of the major job generators in the country, the government is all set to frame new rules for the sector to pave the way for its development and contribute to employees' welfare. In a notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited from individuals and organisations comments and suggestions on the draft Private Security Agencies Central (Amendment) Model Rules, 2019.

Due to the expansion of economic activities, the sector is growing at a very fast rate and as per an estimate, it employs 90 lakh people. The government envisages to improve the level of the enforcement of the act and the rules.

Therefore, it has been decided to consider modification in the model rules made under section 24 of the act to bring in substantial improvement in its enforcement. This will pave the way for the development of the sector and contribute to welfare of employees in this industry, the notification said. The Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005, and the states and union territories rules based on the Private Security Agencies Central Model Rules, 2006, are under implementation in the country for over a decade.

The ministry said since the private security agency licensing portal has been launched, there will be no need for manual police verification of details of directors, partners or proprietors of companies at the time of applying for license. The verification of antecedents will be facilitated through electronic databases of crime and criminal like the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS) and the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS).

For payment of fees for license, this amendment allows electronic payment along with banker's cheque or demand draft as other payment modes. The notification said the Centre has made the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) mandatory from December 27, 2018, and this recent advancement is to be made a part of the model rules.

Private security agencies will be allowed their own designations under the model rules. The statement indicating modification to the private security agencies central model rules along with stipulation of the principal act and reasons for changes, and draft of the proposed amended rules in this regard can be downloaded for comments and suggestion from mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/PrivateSecurityAgencies_06112019.pdf

Comments and suggestions can be sent to us-pm@nic.in on or before December 6. Launching the private security agency licensing portal initiated by the MHA, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked operators of private security agencies to undertake welfare initiatives like health insurance, health check up and pension for private guards by taking advantage of government-sponsored schemes.

Shah also asked private security agencies to hire NCC trained guards so that those employed have some basic training on security. Private security agencies must ensure that each and every private security guard has a 'Jan Dhan' bank account for salary disbursement and there should be no cash transactions with them, he said at the event held on September 24.

The home minister said there are around 90 lakh private security guards in the country while the total number of police and paramilitary forces is around 30 lakh. That means, there are 24 per cent police and 76 per cent private security guards, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)