By Our Reporter
Shillong: With questions being raised about the inadequate security at the State Secretariat, the State Government has decided to augment the security cover at the Secretariat by installing the Access Control System (ACS) within the premises.
Talking to The ShillongTimes here on Friday, Principal Secretary, SAD, P Naik said, “The Government has initiated the idea to increase the security cover at the Secretariat.”
Once the system is installed, the employees will be issued a particular smart card which they have to tap in the ACS while entering the Secretariat building, Naik said, while adding that the cards will be biometric in nature and once the ACS is installed unauthorized entry into the Secretariat will become a thing of the past.
According to Naik the Government had planned to install the ACS within this year. A trial run of the ACS will begin next month.
Media persons and Secretariat employees and other casual workers will be issued the biometric cards once the system is installed,” Naik added.
Reacting to a query about the hundreds of visitors who visit the Secretariat every day, the official said, “Visitors will also be provided with these cards which would remain valid for a few hours or may be a full day.”
Earlier this year, the Home Department had decided to beef up the security cover to restrict movement of people who, otherwise, have easy access to the Secretariat.
Naik, however, added that the initiative is not being taken because of any ‘external threat’ but the restrictions were being imposed only as a precautionary measure.
