Security tightened for Xmas, New Year

PANAJI: In the wake of intelligence reports on suspected terrorist activity on the west coast, the Goa coastal police have been put on alert to avert any untoward incident on Christmas and New Year.
SP (special branch) Atmaram Deshpande said, "We have tightened patrolling in the coastal areas and our men are maintaining a watch on any suspicious activity." The police have said that there is a general alert for the entire west coast as there is a threat of a terrorist attack by sea.Sources in the tourism sector said that this has led to a drastic reduction in the number of tourists who visit the state during Christmas time.
To ensure that there is smooth flow of traffic in the narrow lanes of the coastal area, about 450 traffic staff will be deployed in Calangute, Baga, Anjuna and Candolim. They will be working in two shifts, sources said.
Ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities in the state, police have issued advisories to all hotels, shacks and restaurants asking them to install CCTV cameras with at least 30 days data storage, metal detector door frames and other security equipment. The hotels have been asked to click photographs of all guests checking into the hotel at the reception counter and the same should be kept on record. Also they have been asked not to entertain 'walk-in guests' (without reference or pre-bookings).
Shacks and restaurants will now have to engage private security to check customers, their handbags, cameras, videos and mobiles. Besides reducing access points to the shack or restaurant to just one, police have advised that door frame metal detectors be installed at all entry points and every customer should be made to pass through it and subjected to frisking and manual checking in case of any suspicion.
Already two companies of the central paramilitary force (CPMF) have been posted at strategic locations and establishments frequented by tourists during Christmas and New year. Also, a company of the Goa reserve police will also be posted at strategic locations besides carrying out patrolling duty. "The environment in the present scenario demands a high level of alertness and proactive stance. The whole idea is to ensure that there is police presence everywhere along the coastal belt," said a senior police official.