Safety first

New Delhi, Dec. 21: Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has sought security cover from the government for its refinery complex at Jamnagar, in the wake of the recent terror attacks in Mumbai.

Reliance, whose Jamnagar facility is the largest petrochemical hub in the country, wants the security to be of the same standards as in atomic power installations.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, which operates the Bombay High offshore oil wells, has decided to float a tender for four gunboats to guard the wells, which meet 14 per cent of the country’s crude oil requirements.

To be bought for Rs 50-55 crore, the boats allow commandos to rapidly intercept attacks.

According to senior officials, the government is likely to ask companies such as Reliance to follow ONGC’s example and invest in security equipment, while it will provide security personnel.

Petroleum minister Murli Deora is believed to have met home minister P. Chidambaram on providing greater protection to vital oil and gas installations.

Officials said the government had many financial obligations — investments in social welfare, for instance — which made it necessary for firms to bear a part of the security burden.

Earlier, too, Reliance had sought protection for Jamnagar in the form of air defence artillery. The proposal got rejected because it would have added to the huge workload of the defence forces.

Besides the Reliance demand, both industry and the government have initiated steps to protect installations.

The government is planning to amend the Central Industrial Security Force Act to cover privately owned oil, gas and IT hubs.

Following the attack on the Taj, the Tatas have announced that they would be setting up a security apparatus to guard their installations.

The Confederation of Indian Industry,too, has set up a panel to prepare a security plan for its members.

Studies show gap

Defence analysts have carried out studies that demonstrate the vulnerability of vital economic installations to attacks.

Assocham has predicted that companies could increase their security budgets by 35-40 per cent.

“Private security business in India will become a Rs 50,000-crore industry in four years as corporates increase their spend on safeguards,” the industry chamber said in a recent study.

The study said that more than 2 lakh security personnel needed to be recruited. At present, the private security industry is estimated at Rs 22,000 crore, the chamber said.

Security companies feel companies need to have a wide range of devices.

There should be vehicle scanners, turnstiles and metal detectors at entry points. Once inside, X-ray baggage machines, biometric identification systems, a trained team of guards and advanced CCTV cameras should be in place. Analysts said less than 10 per cent of companies had such a set-up.