The Hindu Business Line : Bangalore hotels, malls to beef up security

Security men in front of the Oberoi hotel in Bangalore on Monday. Hotels in Bangalore have beefed up security in the wake of terror attacks on Mumbai hotels. - G.R.N. Somashekar

Anjana Chandramouly
Anjali Prayag

Bangalore, Dec. 1 That they were attacks not on a city called Mumbai but the nation as a whole is evident from the aftershocks being felt in cities as far as Bangalore and beyond.

Hotels and malls in the city are taking a relook at their security measures, especially after the Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, in a meeting asked captains of industry and hotels to step up private security and co-ordinate with the civil and police administration to ensure safety of their establishments as well as the people.

It was also suggested in the meeting that as Bangalore was on the radar of the terrorists, companies and hotels should keep a constant vigil on the movement of people at offices and hotels. Accordingly, hotels will have luggage screening machines and CCTVs apart from detectors installed at entry points.

“We have installed these electronic devices, posted armed guards at the entrance, and are in touch with police officials round the clock,” said Mr Subrata Majumder, General Manager, The Park, Bangalore. The hotel will also increase its investment in sophisticated security equipment, he added.

“We beefed up our security on the very night of the attacks. We have added police protection and there are more security checks than before,” said Ms Harinder Singh, General Manager, The Lalit Ashok. But what is more essential is an “in-depth study on what needs to be done”, she added.

According to Mr Nandish M.R., Mall Manager at Garuda Malls, both their properties will now have a 24-hour security checking system, which earlier would close at 10 p.m.

“Apart from checking all the cars, we have also put in more people to ensure that no visitor to the malls goes unchecked,” he said. This means an eight per cent increase in its security spend for the year, compared to last year.

Compared to malls abroad, Indian malls have always been high-security zones, said Mr S. Raghunandhan, CEO–Retail, Prestige Group. “We stepped up our security systems after the recent Bangalore blasts with full screening of cars apart from the routine checks. We are also in constant touch with the lawmakers for any sensitive information,” he added.

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