Mayor gives PMC one month to tighten security at headquarters after repeated breaches

Nagpure instructed the administration to reduce the number of entry points, improve visitor screening and tighten security at vehicle entry gates

Mayor Manjusha Nagpure on Monday directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration to strengthen security at its headquarters within a month after corporators flagged repeated security breaches, inadequate surveillance and unrestricted access to the civic building during the general body meeting.

She said the civic headquarters lacks a robust surveillance system despite functioning as one of the city’s most important administrative buildings. (HT)

Nagpure instructed the administration to reduce the number of entry points, improve visitor screening and tighten security at vehicle entry gates.

“I direct the administration to strengthen the security system within a month. Multiple entry points should be reduced and properly regulated. Security arrangements at vehicle entry gates are also inadequate. People are entering and leaving the premises without proper checks. The entire system needs to be strengthened,” she said.

The mayor cited incidents in which protesters entered office sections, a woman civic employee was allegedly assaulted inside the building, a person reportedly entered the premises carrying a firearm and a recent bomb scare that exposed weaknesses in the civic body’s emergency response.

She said the civic headquarters lacks a robust surveillance system despite functioning as one of the city’s most important administrative buildings. She questioned why AI-enabled CCTV cameras and modern access control systems have not yet been installed.

The functioning of the private security agency engaged by the PMC also came under scrutiny. Few corporators demanded a security audit, verification of attendance records, review of deployment patterns and stricter supervision of security personnel. Some members alleged that security standards had weakened after private agencies were entrusted with the responsibility.

Responding to the criticism, municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said the problem lay not only with manpower but also with the recruitment process. “Our security personnel are not trained like police personnel. They require professional training. However, not a single security guard is appointed without the recommendation of elected representatives rather than on objective eligibility criteria,” Ram said.

He proposed that the administration be given full authority to recruit security personnel based on prescribed physical and fitness standards. “If the elected body lays down clear eligibility criteria such as physical fitness, height and other qualifications, the administration should be allowed to recruit accordingly. We will provide proper training and, within two months, develop a security force that functions with the professionalism of police personnel,” the commissioner said.