MSEB to spend Rs 85L on hiring security guards

THANE: The MSEDCL/MSETCL and MAHA GENCO has about 400 properties in and around Thane and around 200 sub stations in the Bhandup zone including, Vashi, Panvel, Thane, Kalva, Airoli and Mumbra. The agency will guard the establishments at a cost of Rs 85.4L for a period of one year.
The MSEB does not have enough personnel to guard these properties. So they have decided to outsource it.So the help of armed and semi armed guards is being taken to guard what are essentially government establishments.
In a bid to ensure the board's vulnerable properties are not attacked by miscreants and encroached by hawkers and slum dwellers, the MSEDCL Bhandup zone has appointed a security company which will be responsible for the protection of the establishments and the sub stations. The aim of keeping the armed guards is to protect the company's assets from theft or riots. "Under such circumstances, opening of gun fire shall be at the total discretion of the supervisor of the agency," informed MSEB.
Sub stations and properties from Thane, Bhandup, Kalva, Colourchem, Nerul, Kolshet, Airoli Knowledge Corridor; Sonkhar, Nocil s/s at Ghansoli, Vashi and others will be protected by the security agency.
There have been a lot of incidents of arson at MSEB's establishments namely Wagale Estate, Thane, Aurangabad, Panvel, Nerul, Airoli, Rabale in the last few years. "The initiative has been taken to curb such incidents and encroachments. We have decided to deploy armed guards," said Satsh Kharpe, chief engineer, Bhandup zone.
The MSEB cannot maintain each and every establishment. Hence, we have outsourced the job, he said. Kharpe added, "Our main idea is to protect the property belonging to MSEB."
MSEDCL said that the security guards will not take the law into their own hands. Officials said that the guards have been introduced to both, MSEB and police officials. They have been asked not to take action, but report any illegal activity to the concerned authorities.
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