Security agency misdeeds at GGH

Guntur: A security agency engaged by the government to provide security to the Government General Hospital (GGH) here has been committing irregularities by engaging less number of security guards than the agreement arrived at with the government.

Highlights:

• Jai Balaji Security Service Private Limited is engaging less security guards than required
• GGH officials issued three memos to the security agency for violation
• Security agency Managing Director Y Chandrababu said they are following the orders of the director of medical education
• Says they are waiting for release of bills to pay salaries
• The agency has to pay salaries to guards for the past six months

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the agency has to post 188 security guards in three shifts in the hospital. Instead, the agency is engaging less than 100 guards in three shifts in the hospital. On an average, about 4,000 patients visit the outpatient ward at the GGH every day and the doctors perform at least 50 surgeries every day. Engaging less number of guards leads to security threat to the GGH.

The security guards alleged that the agency is not paying salaries to them for the last six months. They had even filed a petition with the labour department to that effect.
According to GGH superintendent Dr DS Raju Naidu, the MoU clearly states that Jai Balajee Security Service Private Limited has to engage two guards for every thirty beds in the hospital. There are 1407 beds at the GGH. The agency has to engage 188 security guards in the hospital.

Many outpatients would visit the hospital in the morning shift. They need to engage 94 guards at the rate of 47+47 in the remaining two shifts. Instead, the security agency is engaging 142 violating the norms.

The security agency secured the tender by quoting lowest amount for all the government hospitals in the state. After getting tender, it is indulging in irregularities and engaging less number of security guards in the hospitals.

"We issued three memos to the security agency. We monitor the performance of the security guards through online monitoring system in the hospital. Based on the parameters, we will make payment to the security agency.

I raised the issue of irregularities by the security agency during the meetings conducted by the higher officials several times. The security agency has not paid PF, ESI though they have been deducting the amount from the salaries of the security guards for August to September 2017.

Instead of the agency, we paid ESI and PF amount. The government sanctioned Rs 7 crore to all the security agencies. We will make the payments to the security agency whether the government released the amount or not. It is the responsibility of the security agency to pay salaries to the security guards every month as per the MoU. The security agency is violating the MoU," Dr Raju Naidu said.

When contacted, Jai Balajee Security Service Private Limited Managing Director Y Chandrababu said, “We have been engaging security guards to 32 institutions in the state, including the government hospitals. When the government has not released the budget, the management is not paying salaries to the guards. We will get budget soon and clear the salary dues to the security guards at GGH. As per norms, we are engaging 142 guards every day.The director of medical education instructed us to engage 142 guards.

As per his directions, we are engaging the guards. If the guards did not come to duty, one or two may be less in one shift. We are following the norms. The management has to make arrangements to pay salaries to the guards within the stipulated time, though budget is not released.”

Meanwhile, security guards working at the GGH are worrying about their salaries. The security agency is paying Rs 6,500 to the security guards and Rs 7,500 to the security supervisor.

A security guard on the condition of anonymity said, “We are not getting salaries for the last six months. Due to delay in payment of salaries, we are facing a lot of problems. Most of the guards working in the agency hail from the poor families. We request the authorities concerned to take steps to pay salaries.”

By VL Syamsundar