New Delhi: With terrorism posing a real-time threat, Government said on Saturday it was planning to rope in the services of around 50 lakh private security guards in the country for information gathering to boost its intelligence network.
Terrorist attacks can be prevented only by gathering information about their activities beforehand and "actionable intelligence was not easily available" at the moment, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said in New Delhi.
"We need to know when something is going to happen and where it is going to happen. It is only intelligence that can help and in this context the services of private detectives and security agencies will be useful," he added.
Terrorists have succeeded in creating a "fear psychosis" among the people even though the number of incidents have not gone up and it was not possible for the police and the armed forces to provide adequate security to everyone, he said.
At present, there are about 50 lakh private security guards in the country, more than double the number of police personnel, and the intention behind bringing the Private Security Agencies Bill last year was to encourage them to make available their services to the people besides regulating the agencies, he added.
Patil was speaking after inaugurating a two-day National Conference on Security and Intelligence organised by the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and the Association of Private Detectives of India (APDI).
"Terrorists are trying to create an impression in our minds that we are all insecure. The fact of the matter is that incidents have come down but the terror quantum has gone up. We will have to control this," Patil said.
Favouring utilisation of the services of private security guards and detectives, he said most of them are former military men and "when we could rely upon them when they were in the forces, why can't we do it now."
"Earlier, the state was expected to provide security to the people. Now it is realised that it was not possible to provide enough security to all. That is why attempts are also being made to strengthen civil defence," he added.
He, however, asked private security and detective agencies to practise self-regulation and warned them that the government would be duty-bound to take action against those who misuse the power.
"It is up to you to decide whether you are a force, industry or service. I would say that private detective and security agencies should be a combination of all the three elements so that you can be useful to the people of the country,” he said.
"You have to conduct in such a manner that the Act is not misused and put public to inconvenience," he added.
He said the government was in the process of drafting a bill to regulate private detective agencies on the lines of the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act.
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