BANGALORE: Not willing to take any risks in the face of an increased terror threat, the government has decided to restrict entry into the Vidhana Soudha, the High Court, Vikasa Soudha and the multi-storey office complex building.
Though there is already a government order in place, restricting the entry of public between 3 and 5 pm on all working days, it was not implemented strictly.
“We have to implement it now as the Vidhana Soudha is a potential and easy target for terrorists,” an official in the Home Department said, citing the security protocol insisted upon by the Centre. “There has to be a system to restrict people so that we can minimise the risk. At the same time we cannot shoo people away,” the officer said.
As a result, the police department has been instructed to ensure a thorough check of those visiting these government offices, and insist that the visitors get a pass from the person they want to meet.
Besides restricting the entry timing, the government is also planning to allow the entry of public only from a specific entry gate.
Streamlining Hotline Meanwhile, at a meeting chaired by State Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao and attended by other top officials of the Home and Police Departments, it was decided to streamline the hotline between the State government and the Union Home Ministry. “Right now there are various hotlines and we need to separately contact the Army, Navy, Air Force or any other force that is required. By streamlining, we can get everything coordinated just by contacting an individual instead of making calls to everyone. Such a system in place would help hasten decisions and save precious time in times of crisis,” the official said.