Bengal Assembly to get additional security cover for Monsoon Session from July 22

Kolkata: The premises of the West Bengal Assembly in central Kolkata will be under additional security cover from Monday when the Monsoon Session of the House begins.

Sources said 22 new, high-end CCTV cameras, with better picture quality, will be installed at different corners of the Assembly premises.

Two new 31 inch monitors are also being installed for the purpose of better monitoring.

All these gadgets will be supported by a power backup system keeping in mind the possibility of power cuts.

Around Rs 22 lakh are being spent for installing these high-end security devices, state Assembly sources said.

Additional security personnel will also be deployed within the Assembly premises during the session.

Sources said that the decision to beef up the security measures in the state Assembly premises when the House is on, was taken in December last year following the massive security breach in Lok Sabha on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, and its full implementation will be witnessed during the Monsoon Session.

All the legislators have been advised to enter the Assembly premises only from the North Gate and it is mandatory for all of them to carry their MLA identity cards while entering the premises.

Restrictions have also been imposed on visitors coming to the Assembly for various reasons and they will now have to enter through the western gate.

No visitor will be allowed to stay within the premises for more than two hours and at the point of entrance their photographs will be clicked and attached to their visitors’ identity cards.

The visitors will have to submit their government-provided identity and address proof before entering the Assembly premises.