2 Jan :The government on Friday decided to promulgate an ordinance enabling the private sector to avail of Central Industrial Security Force cover to guard against terror attacks on industrial houses.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave its nod to bring in an ordinance to this effect, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.
Corporate houses including Tata and Reliance Industries have sought CISF cover for their offices and factories.The companies would have to pay for getting the security cover.
"The Tatas, The Oberois, Infosys and the Jamnagar Refineries (Reliance) have approached me (for CISF cover)," Home Minister P Chidambaram had said on Wednesday.
The ordinance has been necessitated following the Mumbai terror attacks, wherein hotels and other places of importance were targeted.Till now, CISF cover was available only to public sector units and installations like airports.
The government has already introduced a Bill in Rajya Sabha to amend the CISF Act.However, it could not be passed as it was referred to the departmental Standing Committee.
Sibal said that the government had introduced the CISF Amendment Bill in the just concluded session of Rajya Sabha and requested that the draft legislation need not be sent to the Standing Committee in view of the urgency.
"Security is needed in every sector public sector, joint sector and private sector which have projects of importance," he said.Since it could not be passed in Parliament, "We have decided to promulgate an ordinance," he said.
Sibal said that the security would be provided on payment basis.The ordinance would enable the government to bring the CISF personnel deployed in the UN agencies to be brought back and deployed in the private sector establishments, he said.