Government wakes up at last, tightens security in Gandhingar

Security arrangement in and around important buildings in Gandhinagar have at last been revised by district police officials on Saturday. Among eight gates of the Sachivalaya, four have been closed since Saturday evening to prevent unwanted entry in the premises while additional police force has been deployed at the remaining four gates.

Before entering the gates, owners of private vehicles, including two-wheelers, will have to provide details about the person they were about to meet and the purpose to policemen posted there. Security measures also have been strengthened at Ministers Enclave and Rajbhavan area Senior Superintendent of Police E Radhakrishna forwarded a proposal to build a boundary wall around bunglows of ministers before officials of Road and Building Department (R&B) on Sunday.

These measures were taken following two reports published on Friday and Saturday. The reports focussed on the security breaches around important buildings in Gandhinagar.

On Sunday evening, SSP Radhakrishna called on to inform about changes in security arrangement in all important buildings in Gandhinagar. "To ensure that VVIPs and VIPs have no trouble attending offices in Sachivalaya, we have decided to close four gates. And the other gates in North, East, South and West directions are being used," said Radhakrishna

"I also met R&B officials and requested them to construct a boundary wall from Borij village side of Ministers Enclave. Officials assured us that this will be done soon. We are also going to restrict random parking in Sachivalaya campus with immediate effect. For safety, R&B is going to create two parking lots only for visitors," he told.

Gandhinagar district police had recently arranged for an elaborate pay and park system near Motera Stadium during the five-days test match between England and India. It has been learnt that Gandhinagar district police might consider such a possibility to safeguard vehicles. "Policemen are guarding all corridors from the Sachivalaya to the Assembly. Even the employees will have to produce identity cards while moving within these two buildings from Tuesday," the SSP said.

Security personnel at entry gates to Rajbhavan and Ministers Enclave have been alerted and asked to record registration numbers and details of all vehicles coming in. "We also plan to discourage people from visiting the Sachivalaya before 2 o’clock so that here is less public in the morning which will help our men to maintain better security," Radhakrishna added.

Republished from The Indian Express