The Maharashtra government may request the Enforcement Directorate (EC) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe allegations of financial mismanagement in the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC).
Sources in the State Home Department said they are considering a proposal to fully take over and probe the quasi-government body responsible for providing security for State offices, and public-sector undertakings, and vital installations. The government is looking at an overhaul of the body after complaints that several security guards suspended during an agitation against non-payment of wages have used ‘suspicious means’ to be reinstated, officials said. “We are looking into the allegations that many suspended guards were reinstated after influencing the MSSC management and paying money. However, these are mere complaints, and a request can be sent to the ED or CBI depending on what our initial findings are,” said a senior official of the Home Department.
Two strikes
In 2017, nearly 4,000 resident doctors in government-run hospitals across the State went on strike demanding better security against attacks by patients and their relatives. The State had followed court directions and recruited 800 guards via MSSC and provided security to 13 hospitals. But the State Finance department failed to pay them salaries and asked the hospital to dig into personal ledgers for it. The guards went on strike, and many were suspended under provisions of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act. “We have complaints that some of them were reinstated in exchange for money. We are looking into these allegations,” said a senior official.
The MSSC, with a budget of nearly ₹20 crore, provides personnel to government offices, organisations and public-sector undertakings, as per Section 15(1) of the Maharashtra State Security Corporation Act. It is headed by an IPS officer of the rank of Director General of Police, who is also the managing director of the Corporation. The secretary of the Home Department is its chairperson. The personnel have the powers of the police, including the power to arrest and use weapons in discharge of their duties. Senior officers in the MSSC said the force is committed to its core objectives and does not indulge in any illegal activity. “Our candidates are selected through a rigorous process and trained by the best,” an official said.