Bengaluru: Control room soon to monitor ATM kiosks

Bengaluru: To secure ATMs and to prevent ATM-related crimes, the home department is demanding all the banks to come forward and set up a round-the-clock control room to monitor all ATM kiosks throughout the city from one place. Though there are CCTVs installed and security guards deployed at thousands of ATM kiosks throughout the city, it is not serving the purpose, said Home Minister K.J. George.

Referring to the Corporation Bank ATM attack case, which rocked the state two years ago, Mr George said that the attacker is still at large despite all efforts to nab him. “We have even announced Rs 10 lakh reward for credible information on the accused, and efforts are still on to hunt him down. This incident could have been averted if all the security measures were in place,” he said.

The state police are in the process of preparing a detailed plan and would convene a meeting with the concerned banks and the RBI officials to discuss the modalities and process of the implementation of the control room in the near future, he said

Taking a dig at the apathy of the people, Mr George said that the owner of a jewellery store on Commercial Street received an SMS alert soon after his shop was broken into. But he neither alerted the police, nor he checked his shop.