PUNE: The Pune police have undertaken a mammoth task of verifying the security guards and the private security agencies functioning in the city. The exercise follows the recent revelations that many security agencies were operating without proper licenses and security guard verifications.The city police issued orders to this effect last week and have asked all the police stations to verify offices and the security personnel of the private security agencies located in their jurisdictions.The order talks of the need to ascertain the number of guards employed with each private security agency, the completion of each guard’s character verification process and the need to check if the guards have undergone proper training.“The private security agencies can hire security guards only after their ‘character verification’ process has been completed by the police authorities. The verification procedure involves checking criminal antecedents as well as the residence of prospective security guards,” a senior police officer told TOI.The security personnel hired by the private agencies must undergo a three-month training in the designated institutes located across the state, the officer said.Moreover, these private agencies are required to pay provident fund (PF) amounts, on a regular basis, to the security guards employed by them. “The violation of this rule is not acceptable,” he added. Also, watchmen on duty at companies, private and government offices and housing societies must have only eight-hour shifts.“This drive is important as it has been revealed that many security agencies are providing guards — especially to the housing societies — who have not undergone the mandatory training. Many security agencies are also functioning without proper licenses,” the senior officer said.“The police will file cases against all the agencies found violating the mandatory rules and regulations under the provisions of the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act,” he added.The police stations have been asked to submit their reports within 15 days, the officer said.Under the Act, the joint police commissioner of any police commissionerate is the licensing authority.Prashant Rane, a private security agency operator, said, “There are many players in the market. Each one claims to provide the ‘best men’. In order to get the best security personnel, with proper uniform and equipment, the housing societies will have to shell out more money. However, very few housing societies are willing to pay extra to hire good security guards,” he said.“Most of the housing societies are willing to pay just about Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 for each security guard. If one wants cheap manpower, then there is always a grey area,” Rane said.

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