The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Security at public places comes into focus again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 26, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Security at public places comes into focus again

The recent serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh have raised several questions with regard to security at overcrowded courts, says Marri Ramu

Security at public and private places witnessing largescale movement of people has once again come into sharp focus after terrorists struck near the court complexes in Uttar Pradesh snuffing out several lives three days ago.

A campaign on the need for specific security measures at crowded places was undertaken in Hyderabad as the city has already borne the brunt of such terror strikes in the form of the explosion at the Mecca Masjid in May and the twin blasts at the Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat on August 25.

Safety

But after the fresh terrorist attacks, the question being raised is how safe are the public places? A lot was said about installing security equipments at all religious places after terrorists triggered an explosion in Mecca Masjid. While law-enforcing agencies focused on safety at religious places, terrorists targeted an amusement park and a food joint.

New target

Not willing to take chances, the city police had begun installing security gadgets and frisking visitors at theatres and shopping malls.

But with court complexes too on the targets of terrorists now, what is the state of preparedness?

Going by the poor security arrangements at the court complexes in the city with the exception of the High Court, it is clear that they are vulnerable and such attacks could not have been prevented and the damage too would have been pretty high.

There are no door frame metal detectors (DFMD), no surveillance cameras, no guards at the entrances and absolutely no checking of suspicious persons or objects.

It is only at the High Court that the Special Protection Force is in-charge of the security arrangements but even this is not sufficient.

Slackness all around

Any person can walk or drive into premises of the court buildings at Nampally, Secunderabad, Purani Haveli in the old city and L.B. Nagar without being checked.

Except workers belonging to parking lot contractors, no one keeps a tab on people entering these complexes. And they too are concerned only about collection of parking fee and hardly keep a tab on suspicious people or movements.

In this backdrop, planning and executing explosions at these places would be an easy task for anyone. It also indicates that the reaction of the Government to terrorist attacks is on ad hoc basis and not a comprehensive one.

Court complexes are not the only crowded places having inadequate security arrangements. Bus stations, railway stations, educational institutions, entertainment places on city outskirts are others lacking a security set-up. Most don’t have caller identification instruments for their landline phones to trace hoax bomb callers let alone door frame metal detectors.

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