Banks set to beef up security at ATMs after Bangalore incident

New Delhi: Alarmed by the recent Bangalore incident, banks are gearing up to enhance security at ATMs after a review of threat perception at various locations.

"Though our ATMs have adequate security, the bank will review it and beef up where required," a senior official of Canara Bank told PTI.

As per the usual practice, banks deploy full-time security guards at the off-site ATMs (Automated Teller Machines), while at the on-site ATM i.e. at the bank branch, guards are placed only at night.

According to a Corporation Bank official, in the light of the incident in Bangalore, the bank will further strengthen the security and take appropriate steps.

In a shocking incident on Tuesday, a women employee of Corporation Bank was attacked brutally at the on-site ATM of the bank. The assailant had attacked her after entering the ATM booth closely following her and downing the rolling shutter when she refused to draw money and hand it over to him.

The private security industry, which manages the cash logistics and security of bank ATMs, has been raising the security issue of ATM operations time and again with the government and banks.

"Its the long wait for the gun licences that will cost the ATM security. The situation could worsen further as the government has announced one lakh more ATMs in next 2 years. Imagine what could be state then considering the slow progress on the armed security front," said Rituraj Sinha managing director of cash management company SIS Prosegur.

As of August, there were 1,26,950 ATMs of banks across the country. Of this, the number of onsite ATMs are 63,380 while there 63,570 cash dispensing machines off-site. Public sector banks had a combined 72,340 branches, of which 37,672 had onsite ATMs at the end of March 2013.