Deployment of ESM as security personnel

All Central Public Sector Undertakings (Principal Employer) (PE), have been directed by Government of India to engage DGR empanelled Private Security Agencies for providing Security Services to their respective organizations. In addition some of the Private / Corporate Organization (Principal Employer) are also placing requests for providing Security Services; and they (Principal Employer) are also being sponsored DGR empanelled Private Security Agencies.

The role of the DGR as per their perception ends there. However issues faced by ESM security/companies/proprietorships/corporations are seldom if ever considered or addressed by the DGR.  There are a large number of anomalies faced at the delivery end that need to be addressed by both the PE & the DGR in joint consultation with representatives of the service providers.

In addition it would be worth noting that the scheme of providing retiring ESM a second career outside of uniform but in concert with their military training as guards in various public sector establishments was more as a welfare measure than a challenging assignment.

Since those early days the meaning of security has taken a very dangerous turn and it is for the worst. The threat perceptions have changed to that of sabotage, subversion, a suicide bombing mission or even a well planned full fledged attack on any facility.

Keeping the scenario given above in mind and in terms of preparedness to meet the perceived threat perceptions that are very short. The contentious points are enumerated in the succeeding paragraphs. 

Sponsorships Specifically covers two aspects firstly that the company being sponsored technically meets the parameters for being sponsored and secondly that their financial bids are in consonance with laid down rules & regulations. The considered view on these aspects is as follows: -

Technical: Unless the company fulfils these parameters, the DGR would not send it up for sponsorship, hence this redundant step in awarding a contract by the PE, should be done away with.

Financial: All companies vying for a contract have to place the following in their bids: -

(i) Wages as per laid down DGR Rates including all allowances.

(ii) All Deductions e.g. PF, ESI, HRA, SERVICE TAX are to be deposited with concerned authorities as per Central Govt Min of Finance regulations, these would remain the same for each contender.

(iii) The Service Charge mandatorily has been fixed at Not Less than 14%, allcompanies follow it.

Deployment of ESM: - While all of the above can be regulated, amended, promulgated and finally executed , the deployment of ESM on guard duties in the two lower two categories e.g. Guard &Armed Guard is becoming not only difficult but almost next to impossible. There is therefore a need to reconsider the laid down percentages of providing the same. Some of the perceived reasons, as seen, by most security companies in the field, for this widespread shortage are as follows: -

Wage Structure: The retiring ESM is not happy with the wage structure laid down by the DGR because of being equated to a semi skilled labour.

Better Technically Trained: The ESM of the day has to handle sophisticated weapons & weapons support platforms. He has to accordingly acquire skills commensurate with the job in hand. Thus reducing ESM available for security.

Greater Exposure to Urban Lifestyle: When DGR policies were formulated came from remote rural areas The ESM went from village to unit & back without being polluted by any external influences. Unfortunately as of today communications in all forms of have reached the remotest corners of the country. Having seen the effect of its benefits he wants his progeny to also progress. Alternatively the 90% ESM embargo placed on all DGR sponsored contracts needs to be revised to a realistic 45-50% of overall strength.

Availability of Weapons: Earlier the ESM invariably applied for and possessed a licensed weapon of the 12 Bore Single or Double barrel variety at best a sporting rifle or a .22 repeater, all of them being NSP weapons. Weapons were easily available from the Ordnance Factory Board, procedures were simple, and a certificate from the Commanding Officer was adequate to get a license from the District Magistrate.

Type of Weapons: The availability of more modern methods of protection of crops & humans, as also the redundancy of the kind of weapons mentioned above as a deterrent against the more sophisticated weapons carried by various undesirable elements, the ESM has started shying away from applying for a weapon in the first place. The procedure to apply and be allotted a weapon has become more complicated particularly for the JCO’s & OR.  Those who manage get a weapon then get overwhelmed by the web of trying to get an All India License.

Efficacy of Weapons: Against the current perceived threats, the weapons as still laid down in various notifications, remain at best a deterrent against at best a stone throwing attacker. To expect anyone let alone an ESM to face off with a known better equipped attacker is questionable.

Cropping Patterns: Due to advent of better irrigation systems, better & more modernized farm equipment, better pesticides & fertilizers, the average ESM who still has considerable land holdings does not have the time to take up a job while his one crop as in the past matured and was marketed.

Monsoon: A major change due to improvement in the ecology of previously arid regions (from where a bulk of ESM were drawn) have transformed these areas into green avenues keeping them there. 

Liberalization of the Economy:  This aspect of the Indian growth phenomenon has had effects. In the context of our analysis, these could be placed on the negative scale. In the days prior to liberalization, the Public Sector Undertakings straddled the Country The DGR & the available ESM of the day, were aplenty to take care of all the security needs based on the threat perceptions at that time. Cut to 2011, A Private Sector, with more foreign aided adequate financial reserves is bringing with it the aspect of better prospects for using this, relatively young but highly trained work force more pragmatically, as also pay them at rates much higher than what the DGR has envisaged. Also within the Government frame work and within the PSU’s there is a difference, in that the “MAHARATNA” PSU’s, who have greater autonomy, pay salaries to the ESM of the available common pool at almost twice the scale. In addition physically fit security personnel are being retained up-to the age of 65 years.

Establishment of Private Security Companies by Large Corporate Companies: A number of private sector companies like Reliance, DLF & so on have own security arms and proliferated them with ESM at salaries, allowances and working conditions, the present dispensation of DGR & non Maharatna PSU’S in this sector of operations cannot match. The result  ESM are flocking to these companies.

Recommendations

Keeping the above issues in mind and to assist in obviating this problem the following courses of action are recommended: -

ESM Status: The question of equating ESM of NCO/OR rank to semi-skilled needs immediate correction and to bring them under “Skilled” category Similarly for a JCO.

Wage Structure: The DGR wage structure for security personnel must follow that being adopted by the “MAHARATNA” PSU’s, being revised from time to time.

Arms & Ammunition: Instead of expecting an ESM to bring his own weapon & ammunition, each PE should examine its threat perception, formulate its security policy, lay down what weapon would best suit combating the envisaged threat and in what numbers. Thereafter such weapons & ammunition could be procured from the OFB and kept at the locations as planned. This would resolve two issues:

A hunt for ESM with required weapons and valid licences would cease.
The need to specify individuals as gunmen would be obviated and any of the others who are also trained could use the available weapons.

The embargo of 90% of strength to be of ESM must be made more flexible to a level of say 50-60%.

The age factor for physically fit personnel should be increased to 65 years.

An in house system of training under the supervision of DGR registered security company directors, of non ESM personnel to bring them at par with the ESM should be evolved.

The seniority rule with direct allotment on fulfilling of DGR & Central/State Government stipulations must apply, as against the present system.

Representatives of  Companies should be allowed to attend preliminary tender
proceedings rather than the Directors being present for “opening of envelopes only”.

There is an immediate need to have a re-look at the entire ground conditions of providing security by DGR registered security companies at the delivery end based on the facts enumerated above.

Col Anil Kaul, VrC (Retd) is a veteran officer based in New Delhi

(The views expressed in the article are that of the author and do not represent the views of the editorial committee or the centre for land warfare studies).