With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) insisting that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) be deployed for security on the Airport Metro Express Line,the Reliance Infrastructure-led concessionaire stares at the prospect of having to pay over three times the cost of engaging a private security agency. Sources said the Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd,the concessionaire,has been told it will have to provide for the upkeep of over 400 CISF personnel for the 30-year concession period. This change in security plan for the Line,not factored earlier by the concessionaire,has thrown a spanner in the works,escalating not only operational costs but also delaying the opening of the line. Sources said an open-ended clause in the concession agreement between the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the concessionaire left the choice of deploying the CISF,a government agency or any other approved agency for the security arrangement on the Line to the concessionaire. The DAMEPL chose to engage an approved private agency,and even trained its personnel. But when the DMRC forwarded the proposal to the MHA,it was rejected. The Ministry insisted that the core security of the Line had to be with the CISF. The Line got its mandatory safety clearance from the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) on January 11,but the opening has been held up till the wrinkles in the proposed security arrangement are ironed out. Sources said the security issue had been under discussion for almost 18 months and a formal DAMEPL proposal was submitted to the DMRC almost 12 months ago. In April 2010,the DMRC sought details of the agency and equipment proposed to be deployed on the Line so that it could be taken up with the Ministry of Urban Development. Despite several rounds of discussions and deliberations by the DMRC and the concessionaire,no decision was made. On February 4,Home Secretary G K Pillai convened a meeting. It was decided that the core security had to be the responsibility of the CISF. The concessionaire,sources said,was told that it would have to bear the expenses for barracks,family accommodation,arms and ammunition,pension,transport and uniform. Having already invested over Rs 2,500 crore in the project,the DAMEPL went for deliberations and the MHA agreed to spare it the expenses on the barracks and family accommodation. The MHA initially insisted on the deployment of 700-plus personnel,but following discussions this figure,sources said,was revised to over 400 personnel. Even this figure,sources said,was more than the average deployment at existing Metro stations. A meeting is now scheduled with the stakeholders on Thursday for a decision on the dates of final deployment. When Newsline sought comments from DMRC,Director (Works) Mangu Singh said: The concession agreement does state that the concessionaire can engage CISF,a government agency or any other approved agency. The concessionaire had to make a formal proposal for the security arrangement,which was to be forwarded to the MHA for approval. When we forwarded the approval,the MHA insisted that CISF be deployed.
