Home Minister K.J. George on Friday said the government would frame guidelines within a week to streamline the functioning of recreation clubs and video parlours in the State. “The main intention is to prevent illegal activities like gambling in these clubs and parlours,” the Minister told presspersons in Bangalore.
Pointing out that at present there are no guidelines stipulating the functioning of such clubs and video parlours, he said there were complaints that gambling was going on in these places. The proposed guidelines would make it mandatory for these places to install CCTV cameras. He had already held discussions on the framing of guidelines with top-ranking police officials. The Police Department did not have much information on these clubs and parlours as they had been registered with the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, he said.
Replying to queries on the increase in number of murders in Bangalore city of late, the Minister said he had issued strict instructions to police officials to tighten security to prevent crimes. But, he maintained, it was not proper to term the entire city as “unsafe” based on one or two incidents of crime.
When asked if the Police Department would continue extension of closing hours in Bangalore city hotels as has been done during the Ramzan period, the Minister said he would discuss the issue with police officials concerned.
Replying to a query, he said the previous Advocate-General had advised the government to wait for the implementation of the decision taken by the earlier government to withdraw 11 cases, as such a decision had been challenged before the court through Public Interest Litigation petitions.
Recruitment
He said the Police Department had initiated the recruitment of 8,000 personnel. But the process had been put on hold to decide the reservation quantum to be given to the Hyderabad Karnataka region. He had asked officials to take the services of the Home Guards in the areas facing shortage of policemen.
