Raigad security board plans to recruit 1,000 personnel

The state information commissioner has taken Cidco to task over dilly dallying in providing information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to an applicant.

Cidco’s general manager (administration) SB Deshmukh has been charged under the RTI Act and penalised Rs10,000. The significant decision was given by the Konkan bench of the state information commissioner.

RTI activist Vikas Parshuram Patil had, on January 22, 2012, submitted an RTI application to Cidco’s Land and Survey department.

He had then asked for details of the 12.5% scheme plots distributed in Ulwe. The information was not given to him.

Patil said, “I approached the first appellate authority, where, too, I did not get the expected reply. Through the second appeal on May 27, 2013, I directly approached the state information commission.”

He said, “On October 20, the Konkan bench gave a final order in the case. Deshmukh was penalised for not appointing a public information officer. The bench has ordered that the fine be recovered from his salary in two monthly instalments.”

A social worker said, “Cidco has 20 departments to run its affairs. These departments receive a number of applications for information on a daily basis. As there is little information on who is the information officer in which department and who the appellate authority is leads to a lot of hassle for applicants.”

He said, “As per section 4 of the RTI Act, it is mandatory that the names of the public information officer and appellate authority are clearly displayed at a prominent place in the office premises. Cidco has, however, not followed the norm.”

The social worker said, “Simply putting up details on the website is not going to help all the applicants as many are not net savvy.”

Cidco officials refused to comment.

A security guard job was not in much demand for most youth till recently in Panvel. However, with the Raigad security guard board promoting the services in the region, the youth are beginning to look at it as a good option.

The board has sent a proposal for fresh recruitments to the government. The proposal is expected to provide jobs to an additional 1,000 youth in the region.

Raigad district has a number of private companies, government and semi-government offices. Apart from them, JNPT, ONGC, iron and steel market, Cidco, FCI and other such major establishments are also here.

Earlier, these companies employed security guards through private agencies. However, there were a number of complaints of the guards being financially exploited. Hence, in 2002, the security guard board was established in Raigad as well, on the lines of a similar body in Mumbai.

The board began functioning in 2006 and has 1,950 guards registered with it. The security board gives priority to the local youth. They are given requisite training.

Both the government and private establishments have started getting registered with the security board. The board has prepared a proposal for additional recruitments and sent to the labour department. As soon as the approval comes in, the recruitment process will begin. Once recruited, the guards get sanction for jobs through the board. The establishments registered with the board recruit the guards. The guards are bound not with the establishments but the board. Hence the jobs are permanent and the establishments cannot sack them.

The security guards get Rs12,000 as salary with the supervisor getting Rs14,000. Apart from this, every six months dearness allowance is given and there are other facilities too.

Shyam Joshi, chairman of Raigad district security guard board said, “With the security board’s work coming to light, there is growing confidence in it amongst the locals who are approaching us for jobs and also companies with their requirements.”