No surveillance at SMC properties

SURAT: Following three bomb blasts in Mumbai's diamond hubs, the diamond city may be coming to terms with more intense security measures. Decision to place electronic surveillance equipments may have been taken and other visible changes also may have been taking place, but the moot question still remains unanswered. What about the security at many public utility facilities created by local civil body? Despite tall claims, there is hardly any security available at any of its premises or buildings or facilities.
Barring main office of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), which is well-equipped with operative CCTV cameras, none of the other zone offices or huge facility like SMIMER Hospital or Indoor Stadium with a centralized AC dome structure that has a sitting capacity of 7,300 people has surveillance instruments.
SMC has outsourced its security to a private agency and the budget is Rs 6.5 crore per year. It also spends Rs 4 lakh on the purchase of security equipments. But, for a civic body with Rs 2400 crore annual budget, the total spending on security of the property and personnel of the body, this amount is just peanuts.
"Ideally, these things are okay, but we live in abnormal times and we have become visibly easy targets for the terror. In such a scenario, security is paramount and there should not be any compromise on this front," said present mayor of the city Raju Desai. "In fact, on Tuesday during the executive committee meeting of SMIMER this question of security cropped up and we are assured that new surveillance equipments will be procured and fitted in the college."
"Forget Indoor Stadium or Gandhi Smruti or Sardar Smruti Bhavan, just go to any garden of SMC and you will be worried. Here again, in the name of security we have one or two private guards with lathis and nothing else," said Ramesh Palanpuri from Athwalines.
"Yes, we have very scanty security measures till now as city is known for its harmonious citizens, peace and prosperity but in this changing scenario we will have to take up more measures so that people at large feel safe in the city," said Desai.
Diamond city, at present, has as many as 105 gardens. Newly constructed Science Centre at City Light is also not totally security proof.
"Spending on security must increase. Till now, we may not have felt the need but now we must invest in quality security agency and reap long term benefits rather than being sorry after an incident occurs."
Sources told TOI that the elected wing plans to increase the spending on security and buy more sophisticated equipment in near future. But, as the final proposal is not made as yet, it may turn out to be another heat of the moment decision which no one will want to remember after few months.