The electronic gadgets installed by the Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), at the main gate for tamper-proof security to the premises round-the-clock, will be activated by then. An ECIL team headed by S. K. Kundu, deputy general manager, is now issuing RF tags and smart cards to senior officials using cars and 7,000 Secretariat employees for a changeover, bringing manual checks by the police to a close.
The new system provides three routes - the present 'in' gate for four-wheelers and a massive one installed adjacent with two openings for scooters and pedestrians. A lamppost-like equipment called "Reader" senses a four-wheeler with an RF tag when it is six feet away and lifts up the boom-barrier. A CC camera records the driver as the vehicle passes to the next stage- an "under carriage surveillance system." This system with two underground cameras detects any explosive material at the bottom before clearing the way. This system replaces the mirror-trolley currently used by the police. As the car passes, a fourth camera snaps its front. If a bomb is detected, the "Reader" and the boom-barrier blocks the car, while a sharp-tooth spike surfaces instantly from underground and punctures the tyres. A provision has been made for the Chief Minister, Ministers and VIPs to bypass all this process.
For two-wheelers, three "Readers" and as many boom-barriers have been provided. Pedestrians, however, will pass through the tripad. A pass to visitors will be issued with a photo on it, taken instantly by the computer. The exit by all will be again by RF tags and smart cards. A printout taken any time indicates how many still remain inside. Police at the gates are waiting in the wings for the big change, as it will end their drudgery of frisking and checking.
