Even as the Kanaka Durga temple is preparing to deal with any untoward incidents, in the wake of threatening calls from banned outfits such as Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), loopholes in security cover continue to haunt the Indrakeeladri.
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam has put up a toll gate at the foothills to collect the fee from the ghat road users—cars, two wheelers and other passenger vehicles.
Though the temple posted private security guards and its staffers to collect the fee, there is no mechanism to check the vehicles reaching the temple, unlike Tirumala. The security guards do not have basic equipment such as under vehicle search mirrors, which do not cost more than Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000. In fact, none of the vehicle is searched.
“It is a serious security lapse. “Explosives can be carried easily to parking lot and thereof,” said an employee, who did not want to be quoted.
More so, the temple has a team, fondly called as bomb disposal squad by the temple employees, to detect the explosives and conduct checks. The temple recruited four ex-servicemen to discharge these duties. “However, none of them have expertise or experience in bomb disposal,” points out another employee.
Temple officials recall that the Tirumala Tiruapti Devasthanams (TTD) imparted necessary training to its security personnel. There were, however, no such plans at Kanaka Durga temple.
All that the security team does is carrying the metal detectors, said a senior employee.
When contacted, temple Executive Officer Ch. Narsing Rao said that they were overhauling security cover atop Indrakeeladri.
The temple recruited four persons for detecting explosives. But, only three were working now. Another person would be recruited shortly.
The Endowments Commissioner should take a decision on purchase of new equipment such as under vehicle mirrors while it was for the government to decide about imparting security training to the personnel posted on duties, he said.
