Two years on,MSRDC yet to buy security equipment for sea link

Currently,human scanning is not permissible under law and the agency will have to work out a way to make these scanners effective,he said. The scanners will cost about Rs 20 crore,the official said.

The MSRDC had called for tenders to procure most of the equipment last year,but did not get any response. “We don’t have much knowledge about these technical issues,our expertise is in civil work. We are ready to pay for the equipment if the security side procures it,” the official said.

In June 2009,D Sivanandhan,the then Mumbai police chief,had written to the MSRDC that terrorists can target the link with explosive-laden cars and emphasised the need for security equipment.

“We conduct security audits at certain vital installations in the city and advise the agency based on that. The Mumbai Police had advised the MSRDC regarding the security of the sea link,but how they procure the equipment is their prerogative,” said Madhukar Pandey,Additional Commissioner of Police (Protection and Security).

The MSRDC had to get mobile,gantry-based explosive detection scanners for both ends of the sea link,high-speed motorbikes,porta cabins,speedboats,towing vans,walkie talkies,a floating jetty and an observation tower,among other items.

Earlier this year,a giant scanner from Bharat Electronic Ltd (BEL) was set up as a pilot project to check vehicles at random. State government officials and security experts were to assess the quality and the necessity of the equipment and take a call on whether to procure it. The scanner has been returned to the company and no decision has been taken on the procurement yet,the MSRDC official said.