Stating this at the inaugural session of conference on Fire, Safety and Security organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries here today, the Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh, T.R. Mahajan added that resources in the country were also not being utilised properly. He said that trained home guard manpower can be utilised by the industry to fulfil its security needs, which will help in optimum utilisation of resources. He stated that with home guard personnel being daily wagers, their utilisation for industrial security will be beneficial in both ways.

Mahajan pointed out that the fire service school in Himachal Pradesh, with a capacity of 300 trainees per annum, got only 50 trainees in a year. He also suggested the need for a special coordination and consultancy cell for the police forces.

Punjab Director General of Police Sarabjit Singh said a project to inter-link police stations all over the country with data communication lines through satellites is being executed by the Delhi-based National Crime Records Bureau, but is expected to take some time to complete.

A satellite transponder is in the process of being leased, which, he said, would enable an SHO in Port Blair to confer on crime issues with his counterpart in Leh.

Sarabjit said that though there are constant efforts to disturb the peace in the state, isolated incidents should be viewed as a part of the system and no police force in the world can prevent them.

While pointing out that the industrial security plan evolved for Ludhiana has been successful and will be introduced in other cities in Punjab, he suggested that the CII form its own security nucleus, for which the Punjab Police would provide the requisite consultancy.

In his address, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Rajasthan, Rameshwar Singh said every state should have its own Fire Act to deal with safety and exigency needs. He added that trained manpower for industrial security requirements can also be drawn from ex-servicemen. Stating that while Rajasthan is a peaceful state and suits industrial requirements, policing the international border was a problem.

Conference chairman R.M. Khanna stressed upon the need to create favourable conditions for the operation of industrial units and said that law and order is as important for industrial growth as infrastructure.