Adopt modern technologies to make India safe, VK Singh tells private agencies

New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) VK Singh on Saturday asked private security agencies to upgrade their skills and adopt modern technologies to make India a safer place.

"Our security environment is changing fast. Our streets may not be as safe as it is today. Therefore, it is important that private security agencies wake up to growing challenges related to public safety and security. They need to fill the gaps in our security requirements," he said while addressing the annual conference of the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and the Association of Private Detectives and Investigators (APDI).

Gen Singh said that the sphere of private security agencies has increased many times and so has the challenges. "Our internal security environment needs better-trained personnel. The industry needs to look into the challenges of providing better trained and better-equipped manpower," he said.

"As government cannot meet all the requirements of security, particularly those being demanded by private people, private agencies should take on this task. We are becoming more dependent on private security. There is growing demand for private security personnel. The private security agencies should wake up to this growing demand," the minister said.

Speaking at the conference, CAPSI chairperson Kunwar Vikram Singh raised the issues concerning the sector, particularly related to imposition of GST which is putting a financial burden on agencies and also the new regulation which puts the onus of crimes committed by a guard on his employer.