Full-body scanner for trucks being installed at Attari check-post
AMRITSAR: To add another security measure to the Attari integrated check-post (ICP), which facilitates India’s bilateral trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) has started the work of installing a full-body truck scanner, costing around Rs 23 crore.
LPAI officials said that after the installation of the truck scanner, the smuggling of concealed heroin, other drugs and weapons through the ICP from Pakistani side will be curbed. At present, manual checking of vehicles is done, which takes huge time.
According to the Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010, it is mandatory to install scanners at the posts through which international trade is carried out. The customs department had written several times to the Centre, seeking full-body or drive-through scanners for the import section at the Attari ICP.
The ICP was inaugurated at Attari on April 13, 2012, but it has been running without any truck scanner since then. However, two truck scanners have been installed at Wagha border at Pakistan side, officials said.
Sukhdev Singh, manager of LPAI at Attari ICP, said, “As of now, trucks arriving at ICP are randomly checked leaving much scope to chance and error. After the installation of the truck scanner, every single truck would be checked for concealment of narcotics, weapons or ammunition, besides easily verifying the content of the import or export goods, that too in a few minutes.”
A senior official of the Border Security Force (BSF) said the ICP would be better protected with the new system.
Singh, however, said that besides installing the truck scanner, the work of concretising an open perch of 13,000 sq metre is also under process. “We are also constructing two covered sheds over an area of 10,000 sq ft for imported goods such as gypsum, cement, soda ash and dry fruit,” he said. He added that this project, which will cost around Rs 4.75 crore, and the installation of the truck scanner will be completed by September this year.
Currently, the traders are facing huge loss, especially during the rainy season, as their imported items get ruined due to lack of a concrete yard and covered sheds at the Attari ICP.
“WE are happy that the work finally kicked off. With the construction of the sheds and the concrete yard, the quality of imported goods will also be improved,” said Rajdeep Uppal, a senior functionary of the Confederation of International Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CICCI).
HIGH-DEFINITION CCTV CAMERAS
Singh said that with a view to increasing the security of the ICP, the LPAI spent Rs 5 crore for the installation of 108 high-definition closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. “Earlier, there were 225 analog-signal cameras which were defunct. But we have replaced these old cameras with digital cameras,” he added.