The unfortunate and condemnable violent attack on an ATM user in Bangalore has underscored the need for providing 24-hour security at the cash dispensing machines, but an ASSOCHAM assessment has noted a shortfall of nearly 1.5 lakhs security guards only for the ATM operations.
Of about 1,25,000 ATMs in the country, only 50,000 are guarded while only 1.15 lakhs are covered by the CCTVs. The shocking incident at Bangalore underscores the need for recruitment of the guards at expeditious speed to ensure that all the ATMs are properly guarded and equipped with security gadgets, other than CCTVs, said Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM while releasing assessment.
“While recruitment of guards and manning all the ATMs 24X7 may be time consuming and costly affairs, the quick answers lie in using hi-tech security gadgets like automatic alarms, improvement of camera footage and even setting up central monitoring rooms from city-to- city requiring a perfect coordination between the banks and the police authorities,” pointed out the ASSOCHAM paper.
“At least in big cities, the banks should encourage and promote use of credit cards and more and more merchandise outlets should be covered by the plastic money so that the use of hard cash is reduced. This would not only help reduce security risks but also help the economy capture the transactions and thus, reduce the unaccounted money,” said Mr. Rawat.
The direct spin-offs would also be felt on the increasing demand for the private security industry which has been growing @ 25% in the past 5-7 years, showing the significance of security installations in most of manufacturing hubs.
In the major installations of petroleum and petrochemicals, power including nuclear power, steel, cement, ailways, airport and seaports, the public-private-partnership is required. But certainly, the costs of securing people and vital installations are going to increase, because things cannot be left to chance any more.
Among most sought after security gadgets required by Indian Inc. would include high-tech CCTV surveillance, access control and intruder alarm equipment, video surveillance, electronic security, wireless equipment/technology, installation tools, supplies and accessories, fire extinguishers, rescue device, security bodes and doors and entry/exit screening systems etc, adds the ASSOCHAM assessment.
Although domestic security market in India is quite advanced but India’s imports dependence for security items would mainly stay with countries like USA, European firms and security related companies in countries like Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan, pointed out the paper.