Reliance Refinery Industries Jamnagar District News Gujarat India

RIL's Jamnagar refinery likely to get CISF cover from September

After having a second thought, the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has conveyed to the home ministry that it was keen to take CISF security cover for its Jamnagar refinery for its foolproof protection which is likely to be given next month.

"The Reliance has conveyed to us that they are now keen to take CISF security cover. The CISF personnel are likely to be deployed in Jamnagar sometime in September," a top Home Ministry official said. The RIL, which was among the first private companies to seek protection from the Central Industrial Security Force after the government's announcement that the paramilitary forces would be available for guarding private installations, had informed the Home Ministry last month that the company was reconsidering the request.

However, the official said, the company has recently made up its mind and subsequently informed the Ministry that it was ready to take the CISF security cover. The world's biggest Greenfield refinery got the in-principle clearance from the home ministry in this regard about three months back.

Central security agencies carried out exhaustive survey of the installation and decided to provide 100 personnel for it. Besides guarding, these personnel will provide training to security personnel of Reliance. The need for security cover to vital private installations was felt following intelligence reports that Pakistan-based terrorists might try to target these establishments by launching surprise attacks similar to the one in Mumbai last year.

The Centre has expanded the role of CISF from guarding government establishments to providing security to private installations in the wake of the 26/11 attack. Jamnagar refinery of Reliance is close to the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat which makes it vulnerable to terrorist attacks from the neighboring country.

Two schools are among the 77 organizations which have been asking security cover from the CISF. The government has already provided CISF security cover to the Bangalore premise of the Infosys. The demand for providing security net to private companies was felt after the Mumbai terror attack prompting the government to enact a law enabling the private sector to avail itself of CISF cover to guard against terror attacks.