The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Upgrade security, industry told

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Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Upgrade security, industry told

Special Correspondent

Yeddyurappa asks corporates to take police advice

Industry urges the Government to form crack unit to tackle emergencies
Hotels asked to strictly check passports of foreign nationals

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

A WAKE-UP CALL: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa (right) greeting representatives of industry and hotels at a meeting on security issues in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: In the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Government on Saturday took stock of the law and order situation in the State and asked managements of top industries and luxury hotels to step up private security and coordinate with the civil and police administration to ensure safety of their establishments as well as the people.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who chaired a high-level meeting with captains of industry, hotels and police top brass assured the corporates that the Government would not allow terrorism akin to what happened in Mumbai to occur in the State.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the police officers would guide the managements of information technology, biotechnology and other business houses to upgrade their security system.

Appealing to the public to cooperate with the Government and the police to maintain law and order in the State, Mr. Yeddyurappa said all steps had been taken to avert untoward incidents in the State. Since the Silicon Valley of India was on the radar of the terrorists, he suggested to the companies and proprietors of hotels to keep a constant vigil on the movement of the people who check inside the offices and hotels.

Besides strengthening the internal security, the Chief Minister said the private industries and hotels should obtain revolver and gun licences and provide special training to security personnel.

Installation of detectors at the entry points, luggage screening machines, and CCTVs would help identify dangerous objects and suspicious movement of the people.

He told the representatives of hoteliers to strictly check the passports of foreign nationals and keep vigilance on their movements.

The managements should provide training to their staff on handling emergency cases such as fire accidents and sudden attacks on the hotel staff.

The meeting, which was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao, Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidri, Director and Inspector-General of Police R. Sri Kumar, decided to implement the suggestions made by the captains of IT, BT and hotel industry.

The inhuman and barbaric attacks by terrorists on Mumbai need to be condemned and dealt firmly and “we need to take this assault as a challenge to the unity and integrity of the nation,” the Chief Minister said.

“We cannot view the acts of terrorism in isolation, and we need to fight terrorism as one nation and one people. In this hour of crisis and challenge, the entire nation should stand united and back our police, security forces and others who are fighting day and night to provide security to the people and safeguard the nation,” he said.

T.V. Mohandas Pai, Director, Human Resources, Infosys Technologies Ltd., suggested to the Government to set up a task force on the lines of Rapid Action Force to tackle incidents such as terrorists’ attacks. In order to avoid the dependence of companies on the Government for security, he sought granting permission to possess sophisticated weapons by companies. There was a need to draw short, medium and long-term plans to tackle terrorist attacks, he said.

Krian Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon Ltd., suggested to the Government to set up a crack unit to tackle tragedies.

Representatives of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Karnataka Small Scale Industries’ Association and various companies attended the meeting.

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