Security to be beefed up at vital installations

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 12. In the wake of the terrorist attacks in the U.S., the State Government on Wednesday decided to intensify security at vital installations and institutions in the City and elsewhere.

The decision was taken at a meeting of top police officials convened by the Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge. This meeting was preceded by a meeting of the Crisis Management Cell, headed by the Chief Secretary, with the Chief Minister Mr. S.M.Krishna.

Mr. Kharge told presspersons that it had been decided to set up a nodal agency, and Mr. Jayaprakash, Director-General of Home Guards, had been designated as in-charge, to prepare a list of vital installations.

A separate telephone would be installed in the Personnel and Administrative and Police departments to help residents here liaison with their relatives in the U.S.

Mr. Kharge, and the Principal Secretary, Home Ministry, Mr. M.B.Prakash, clarified that a list of vital installations and institutions were available and the thrust was on beefing up security for these.

Mr. Kharge said instances had come to the notice of the Government wherein passengers once ``checked'' at the immigration centre in the airport were freely coming out and returning without a recheck. Hereafter those who come out would be rechecked before they were allowed re-entry.

Instructions were being issued to the Health Department to be on the alert and be equipped to face any emergency situation, he added.

Our Bangalore Staff Reporter writes:

The State Police has set up a helpline to enable the people to inquire about the welfare of their friends and relatives in New York and Washington D.C.

The Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, Mr. V.V.Bhaskar, told presspersons on Wednesday that public could phone 2211777 or 2210391 for inquiries. People could call the City Police Control Room (100) for information.

Police would interact with the coordinating agencies and provide information about the people from Karnataka who were injured or missing in the two U.S. cities.

The Resident Commissioner of Karnataka in New Delhi would be the coordinating officer and would liaise with the U.S. Embassy in this regard, Mr. Bhaskar said.

He said that the State Police was prepared to meet any possible repercussion of the ``tragedy that struck the U.S. on Tuesday.'' Vulnerable and vital installations had been identified and security tightened at these places, he added.

Mr. Bhaskar said that there was no ``panic reaction'' nor an ``emergency'', and police were only taking preventive and precautionary measures.He said two meetings, one at the Government level chaired by the Chief Secretary and another of senior officers of the State and Bangalore City Police and Intelligence agencies, had been held to decide the arrangements to be made in the event of a repercussion.

He said the meetings were preliminary in nature and had not identified what could be the possible repercussions as far as Karnataka was concerned. The meeting discussed the availability of private and government hospitals, doctors, ambulances, blood banks and rescue machinery.

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Section  : Southern States
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