Parliament security: No proposal for full-body scanners yet
By IANSFriday, March 5, 2010
NEW DELHI - A parliamentary panel entrusted with suggesting ways to beef up security of the Indian parliament has not received any proposal for installing full-body scanners in the complex, informed sources said.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Security in the Parliament Complex, headed by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Karia Munda, will discuss at its next meeting whether the security of the parliament complex needs to be beefed up further, but there is no proposal before it for installing full-body scanners, parliament sources said Saturday.
“The agenda (for the meeting) is whether the security of the parliament complex needs to be beefed up. There is no proposal before the committee regarding installation of full-body scanners,” said a source close to the development.
However, top officials within the parliament’s security establishment said they support the idea of installing full-body scanners and vehicle scanners to beef up security at the complex, which was attacked by five Pakistani terrorists in 2001, leaving nine security personnel dead.
The security officials said the body scanners and vehicle scanners manufactured in India are not up to the mark and the machines should be imported from the West.
The security of the parliament complex was tightened following the 2001 attack. A common man, to enter the complex, has to pass through different layers of checks.
Several airports in Western countries have installed full-body scanners. The machine has attracted controversy as it shows up every little detail of the person’s body.
