ATM agencies ignore security guidelines

Anantapur: The third party agencies responsible for providing security at ATM centres are negligent even after the police instructed them to take necessary measures after the attack on a woman at a Bengaluru ATM booth.

Sources said that the SBI had 112 ATM centres in Anantapur district. Security has been provided for only 73 ATM centres while the remaining 37 centres had no security or maintenance. Tata Services, a third party is maintaining the 37 ATM centres, named Brown Label ATMs. They are in no way connected to the SBI.

The third party, however, collects cash from SBI to fill cash in Brown Label ATMs. The agency has also to take all the necessary measures including providing security, paying rent and electricity charges.

Even if any damage or theft occurs at the ATMs, the SBI would have no responsibility, and the agency will have to bear the loss. Last week two ATM centres, one at the SK University and the other at Kalyandurg were attacked by robbers. But, the agency has not taken measures to protect them.

Anantapur DSP K. Nagaraju said he held a meeting with bankers and had instructed them to take necessary measures. Anantapur SBI regional manager K. Sreenivasa Reddy told this reporter, that the SBI owned ATMs had adequate security and maintenance. “All our ATMs has security men. The AC units are maintained regularly to keep the machines operational,” he said.

The regional manager also ruled out allegations that fake notes were being disbursed from SBI ATMs. He said that all ATMs had a scientific system to seize fake currency notes if inducted into the machine.

"The ATMs don’t accept even soiled notes and the staff have to remove them regularly during maintenance," Sreenivasa Reddy said.