Post Delhi blast, government tightens security

BANGALORE: In the wake of bomb blasts at the Delhi High Court, which claimed 12 lives besides leaving several people seriously injured, the State Government has beefed up security all across the state.Important government buildings, courts, reservoirs, busy places like bus-stops, railway stations, markets and private installations including IT-BT industries, have been kept under police vigil.Home Minister R Ashok on Thursday, held a highlevel meeting with senior police officers and reviewed the security arrangements in the state, particularly in Bangalore, which has been under terrorists’ radar for quite some time.Apart from stepping up police security, the home department is also mulling over issuing guidelines to private business establishments on their security arrangements.Since the police cannot provide security to all business establishments, we will be issuing guidelines specifying the security arrangements to be made by themselves.These guidelines will be mandatory and action will be taken against those who do not follow them, Ashok informed.To a question, Ashok said that, guidelines would be ready in ten days and they will be circulated to all business establishments through police stations in their respective areas.Commandos The state government’s own commando unit which has been raised on the lines of National Security Guards (NSG) is ready for operation.Ashok said that, the first batch of 80 commandos have completed their training and are ready to take up assignments.These commandos w i l l be stationed in Bangalore.The home department has plans to station commandos in important cities like Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga and Belgaum.Soon these commandos will visit all the important places in Bangalore, in order to familiarise themselves with the topography.They will be visiting the Vidhan Soudha and the High Court in a day o r t w o a s p a r t o f t h e i r familiarisation programme.The meeting was attended by principal secretary, Home Department S M Jamadaar, DG&IGP N Achyutrao, Bangalore city police commissioner Jyoti Prakash Mirji, ADGP (Internal Secur i t y Division) Bipin Gopalakrishna and others.