Explosive detectors for Tirumala

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI, OCT. 10. In the wake of the US-Afganistan conflict, the State Government today deputed the I. G. (Intelligence) to convene a meeting with the TTD and the District Police top-brass to review the existing security arrangements in and around the Tirumala temple complex and prepare a blue-print to step up security and prevent any possible act of sabotage.

Among those who took part in the high-level meet held at Tirupati by the IG (Intelligence), Mr. Sivasankar, were the DIG, Anantapur, Mr. R. P. Thakur, TTD's Executive Officer, Mr. P. Krishnaiah, Chief Vigilance and Security Officer, Mr. K. R. M. Kishore Kumar, SP, Chittoor, Mr. Ramanarayan.

Today's meting is a follow-up of the one held a couple of days back at Hyderabad at the instance of the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu when it was decided, among other things, to send an SOS to the Centre to declare the airspace over the famed Tirumala temple complex as `no-flight-zone' obviously to prevent any Washington-type terrorist attack.

At the follow-up meeting today, a major decision was taken to instal `X-ray scanners' - one at the `Mahadwaram,' the main entrance into the sprawling temple complex, and the other at the point from where bags and bags of groceries are sent inside the temple complex through a conveyor belt for preparation of laddus and other prasadams.

The officials felt that these two vulnerable points needed to be brought under sharp focus to prevent the smuggling of any lethal materials into the temple complex.

While the one X-ray scanner which is readily available would be immediately installed at the Mahadwaram, the other would be imported within two months and installed at the conveyor-belt point (Ugranam).

Each scanner is expected to cost Rs.30 lakhs, a senior official said.

Another major decision taken was to instal explosive detectors - one each at the Vaikuntam Queue complex and at Alipiri, the foot of the hills.

While the former is the entry point into hill station, the abode of the Lord Venkateswara, the other is the bee-hive through which thousands of devotees throng the hills daily from far and near.

A door-frame-metal-detector would be installed at some point half-way up the foot-path and all trekkers would be frisked and their bags would be thoroughly checked by security personnel for any possible deadly materials.

In order to monitor the movement of suspicious characters, the meeting has decided to instal CC-TVs at the toll-gate for a round-the-clock surveillance.

Motorists and trekkers passing through the area would be watched through a panel of CC-TV and in case of any incident or suspicion, using the footage of the videotapes, the suspects, if any, would be zeroed-in.

A similar panel would be installed at the Tirumala toll-gate to scan and monitor those leaving the hill station.

The official said that the augmented security measures would cost the TTD coffers about Rs. 50 lakhs.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Srisailam reservoir full
Next     : SCR to run specials for shopping festival