“Public safety is our prime concern. We are coordinating with the city police in this regard. We have also stepped up security in PCB limits. We have started deploying men at various places to check an suspicious activity. Even at the office of the cantonment board, we are stepping up security,” Brigadier Sharma said.

He said schools in the area were next on the security agenda of the PCB. “We will hold a meeting on Tuesday with principals and other officials of various schools in the area. We will discuss the issue of security at schools. Moreover, to prevent such incidents from recurring, we are asking owners of various shopping malls and building that have more than one floor to submit their building plans to us.”

The PCB chief has appealed to people to be more vigilant.

“Citizens need to be more alert. In case they notice anything suspicious or amiss, they should inform the police or the cantonment board. We are also planning to increase night patrolling in camp area and at PCB.”

The security measures may hurt business a bit, but shopkeepers do not mind.

“I know business will suffer as most of my business is only on weekends, but then it is the right thing to do. Security of citizens is important. Besides even though business has fallen it is not that bad,” said Babu Sheikh, a sweet corn stall owner on M G Road. For others, the decision to suspend the weekend Plaza has not made much of a difference.

... contd.