State Home Minister K?J George told reporters here that the banks failing to meet the deadline would have to temporarily shut their ATM kiosks until they put in place the security measure. He, however, added that the government was not contemplating any punitive action.
There are an estimated 2,580 ATM kiosks across the state capital, of which, according to George, about 680 are currently unguarded. The ATM kiosks are being treated as an extension of branches of the banks concerned and the banks were responsible for ensuring the security of their customers, the minister said.
George was speaking to newsmen after a meeting with top police officers in the City during the day. He instructed City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar to take strict action as per law to ensure that the banks adhered to the three-day deadline to man ATMs 24X7. Apart from Auradkar, the meeting was also attended by state Director General and Inspector General of Police L R Pachuau.
At present, security guards deployed at the ATMs are not armed with weapons, but carry lathis. Only at the ATMs located on the bank branch premises, the armed guards deployed for the branch double up as security guards for the ATMs.
The minister said that the issue of stationing security guards at ATM kiosks was not new as several meetings were held in the past in the wake of many instances of ATM robberies. “But all requests (to the banks) to station security guards at kiosks have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
When asked about the state government's competence to direct the banks to deploy security guards, the minister said that the Law and Order was a state subject and security of common man at ATM kiosks is at risk. “Our police are empowered in the context to enforce certain strict guidelines and we will do so,” he said.
George has also formed a committee led by Home Department principal secretary S K Pattanayak to frame a detailed set of security guidelines for the ATM kiosks. For this purpose, consultations will be
held with the police, the bankers and customers. Sources said the guidelines are expected to be prepared by the end of Belgaum session. The government is thinking of either amending the Karnataka Police Act or a new law to give itself legal jurisdiction to enforce necessary security guidelines.
But ahead of such legislative measure, George is understood to have asked Pattanayak to look into potential legal issues involved in the enforcing security measures in the immediate context. The government may, if required, come out with an executive order to make armed security guards at ATM kiosks mandatory, the sources said.
On his part, Auradkar has sent a proposal to the government, detailing some security measures for the ATMs. The proposals relate to four elements of security during transfer of money, security for the kiosks, measures to prevent tampering of the machine, and measures to prevent skimming of cards.
According to agencies, Corporation Bank said it would re-deploy armed guards at its ATMs within the next 10 days to provide security to customers using the facility.
“We have begun the process. Armed guards will be re-deployed at all our ATMs in the state, including Bangalore within 10 days,” a bank spokesperson said in Mangalore.
Admitting that armed guards were withdrawn from ATMs five years ago for various reasons, the spokesperson said after Tuesday's incident, the bank decided to restore guards at all its kiosks.
Attacker not identified yet
* Though CCTV footage gave a clear image of the assailant, whose attack has left the woman victim partially paralysed in hospital, the City police are clueless about his identity even 24 hours after the chilling incident
* Special police teams have been despatched to neighbouring states to track down the attacker, who is suspected to have fled Bangalore
* Eight special teams have been formed to crack the case which has left Bangaloreans shell shocked
* CCTV footage from the cameras installed at the traffic junction near the ATM kiosk where the attack took place are also being analysed
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