Further tightening its noose on public safety related matters, police across Karnataka will take coercive action against establishments and organisations that do not comply with the newly notified rules that mandate installing Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) and putting other related security measures in place.
The police have warned that they will issue fines or even shut down establishments, be it commercial, religious or educational, where there is a congregation of about 100 people or a daily footfall of more than 500 people at a time if they do not adopt adequate security measures.
In the event of non-compliance, defaulters will be fined Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for the first and second month respectively. If they are found flouting the rule for the third straight month, their shops will be sealed, said a release issued by the office of the Director General and Inspector General of Police Neelamani Raju.
Public safety measures include access control and CCTV surveillance at entry, exit points and common areas, such as parking lots, Karnataka police said in the statement.
A police inspector attached to the north Bengaluru police station said that they are creating awareness among the traders on the new law.
“We will wait for our senior officers to instruct us before collecting fines and taking any stringent measures. As of now, we are creating awareness among citizens,” the inspector said.
The new rules came into effect when the Karnataka Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act was passed in December 2017 and subsequently notified on June 28, 2018, added the note.
It mandates that every commercial establishment, industrial complex, religious place, educational institution, hospital, sports complex, railway and bus stations, where more than 100 people gathered at a time or more than 500 people frequent per day, should maintain public safety measures to ensure security to the visitors.
The establishments have been asked to submit details regarding their compliance to the local police inspector and subsequent periodical returns once every three months in specified forms, which is available in the police and the government websites — ksp.gov.in and karnataka.gov.in