Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy on Thursday said as Indian awaits the launch of Covid vaccination drive, the Government and health agencies will take help of 90 lakh private security guards across India in the roll out of massive vaccination drive.
“Private security industry will have a big role to play in the distribution of Coronavirus vaccine as it will be a big task for the government, police or officials to distribute and administer vaccine to 130 crore people across the country. With such a large workforce only security guards can ensure wider and faster distribution of vaccine and ensure that every household is covered in the vaccination programme,” Reddy said while addressing the Annual Leadership Summit of the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) in the national Capital.
Reddy praised the private security industry for its yeoman service during the Corona pandemic prompting the government to cover the industry under the “essential services”. “Private security guards were everywhere – in hospitals, banks, markets, institutions – and they worked as frontline warriors in the time of Corona pandemic. We consider the private security industry as an integral part of India’s security paraphernalia and Home Ministry has been taking various steps to promote and strengthen it,” he said.
He also ensured that the Home Ministry will take up with the Union Finance Ministry for relaxation in the GST regime for the private security industry. He said the Government was committed to make the private security industry meet global standards and promote ease of doing business in the industry.
Speaking at the event, Vivek Bhardwaj, Additional Secretary in the MHA, said the Home Ministry would write to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry to include private guards in the frontline workers list so that they could also be inoculated in the first phase of the vaccination programme.
CAPSI Chairman Kunwar Vikram Singh said CAPSI has entered into tie ups and agreements with various global agencies to improve employability of private security guards globally.