Pvt. security agency to replace ex-servicemen

They guarded our borders in extreme conditions, against all odds. They fought wars and battled terrorists, to protect our nation. And now, they are going to be jobless.

Hyderabad Metro Development Authority (HMDA), which maintains parks and gardens under the Buddha Poornima Project, has decided to discontinue the services of 27 ex-servicemen. The personnel were deployed in the year 2008, to ensure security at Lumbini Park, NTR Gardens and Sanjeevaiah Park. This measure was adopted post the twin bomb blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat on August 25, 2007, which killed 42 and injured 54.

After the terror attack, the HMDA authorities decided to strengthen security at the airports, defence establishments, state secretariat etc. to thwart such unforeseen incidents in future. Chandra Mohan Reddy, the then Officer on Special Duty (OSD), HMDA, and Buddha Poornima Project (BPP), requested the services of ex-servicemen to the Directorate of the Sainik Welfare Office. As a result, they deployed 45 ex-servicemen, who were stationed at landmark parks in the city. The ex-servicemen were always on the vigil, to safeguard the life of people and public proprieties.

However, after a couple of years, when BP Acharya was the commissioner of HMDA, 18 ex-servicemen were handed the pink slip as an austerity measure. Only 27 members have been on the rolls since then, of which 17 are working at Lumbini Park, 8 at NTR Gardens and the remaining 2 at Sanjeevaiah Park.

Now the BPP authorities have decided to appoint a new security agency, Renuka Sakthi Security Systems, at the three parks. It is reported that the officials had already intimated the Directorate of the Sainik Welfare and have given a one-month notice to the ex-servicemen, to relinquish their services before December 15, so that they could deploy the new security agency from January 1, 2014.

Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, chief security officer, said, “All of us have expressed shock on terminating our services. We have appealed to the Director of Sanik Welfare to retain our services, as the army personnel are known for their honesty, integrity and discipline and have the special skills and techniques to observe the security aspects. Removing our services is unjustified and will hamper our livelihood. It will also affect the education of our children. How will we take care of our old parents?”

T Swarna Kumari, director, Sainik Welfare Office, said, “I got an intimation from the HMDA and BPP authorities, about the termination of ex-servicemen before December 15. I also got a representation from the ex-servicemen against the notice served on them. I have taken up the issue with the Principal Secretary (Home) and with the concerned authorities to redress the grievances of the ex-servicemen, who fear losing their jobs and their livelihood.”