Maha to chalk out security plan for important places

Maharashtra home minister RR Patil today directed the officials to chalk out a plan for security for important places like pilgrimage centres, dams, tourists destinations and industries in the backdrop of the Pune bomb blast.

"Shirdi, Sidhhivinayak temples and other pilgrim places like Pandharpur, Trimbakeshwar and Kolhapur should have security as per the plan," Patil informed the department officials at a meeting in Mantralaya.

The home minister also directed officials to shut down illegal roads to petrol pumps and gas distributing agencies across the state and increase height of their compound walls.

Tourists destinations like Ajanta-Ellora and Elephanta would be provided with special protection considering it's popularity among foreign tourists, Patil said.

Extra police force would be deployed at dams, airports, IT companies and big industrial houses, he said. The minister also asked the officials to speed up recruitment of State Industrial Security Force on the lines of Central Industrial Security Force.

On the security of ongoing infrastructure projects like Mono rail and Metro rail, Patil asked the departments to check the guidelines in London city to be implemented here.

It was also decided in the meeting that the new establishments would not get permission without proper security norms or permit would not be renewed for existing one.

Vehicles and mobile scanner and speed boats would be installed to protect the Bandra-Worli sea link to strengthen security, public works minister Jaidutt Kshirsagar said.