Infy, Wipro, Reliance 1st to get CISF cover

New Delhi: The Reliance refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat, IT giants Infosys and Wipro and Electronic City, a software complex in Bangalore, are among the first which will get CISF cover. These were in the list of 47 private establishments which had applied for paramilitary cover.
After processing all the requests, the home ministry has finally given its go ahead for these four establishments which come under the high-risk category in the wake of security audit done by the CISF and other security and intelligence agencies.
Home ministry sources said though other companies would also get similar security cover in due course, priority has been given to these four by taking into account various
aspects, including the threat perceptions. The next lot will cover ports and power sector.
The decision was taken in the wake of amendments in the CISF Act which allows the paramilitary force to provide security to private companies and cooperative societies on cost reimbursement basis. Earlier, only public sector undertakings (PSUs) were eligible for such security cover.
The necessary amendments in the Act were brought in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack when the government felt the need to include private companies within the ambit of CISF security considering intelligence inputs which suggested major threats to vital private establishments.
The Taj and Oberoi hotels in Mumbai, which witnessed the attacks on 26/11, have also requested for CISF cover. “A decision is, however, awaited in these cases,” said an official.

Security and intel agencies have placed these establishments in the high-risk category after 26/11