Hyderabad: Security lapses pose a grave threat to those visiting Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation headquarters near Tank Bund.
There are no functional closed-circuit television cameras or door frame metal detectors in a place that sees a footfall of 5,000 daily.
Clearly, the authorities do not seem to have learnt anything from the unfortunate Lumbini Park blast of 2007, just 500 metres away, in which 42 people were killed and 80 others injured.
Among the daily visitors to the corporation, considered a mini secretariat, are 2,000 people who work there, Cabinet ministers, MLAs, corporators and the common man.
Commissioners from three police commissionerates, principal secretaries, zonal commissioners, army officials and heads of all city departments visit every fortnight for review meetings and several other activities. None of the CCTVs or DFMDs (door frame metal detectors) at the corporation headquarters, be it the commissioner’s or the mayor’s entrance, were working. This newspaper found that the tenure of the agency supposed to look after maintenance of CCTVs and DFMDs lapsed six years ago and they have been dysfunctional since.
There was no clarity on the number of security staff working to safeguard residents and officials. And yet the corporation pays '72 crore in annual salary to its security staff.
Director of enforcement, vigilance and disaster management, Mr Vishwajit Kampati, said the security issue had come to his notice and the corporation was making plans to increase security cover and safeguard citizens’ lives. He said that besides DFMDs, hand-held metal detectors would be provided to security staff during VIP movement.
Additional commissioner (IT) Mr Mohammed Musharraf Faruqui said the corporation had procured 150 CCTV cameras, which would be installed in two weeks’ time.
