Security experts concerned as the mechanism is the first line of defence against possible terror attacks

At 8 am on Thursday morning, technical staff of the security system installed at Parliament verified it and gave clearance. About an hour later, however, a scooter while entering the premises accidentally hit a flap barrier, but the system, equipped with all bells and whistles available in the market, remained silent.

Mind the gap: Flap barriers like these are also installed at Metro stations.

Technically, when the scooter hit the barrier, a siren was supposed to go off, to alert the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) stationed nearby and Parliament Security Staff. Also, tyre barriers were supposed to emerge from the ground. But nothing happened.

Sources in the Parliament security told MiD DAY that at about 9.30 am, the scooter - which was authorised to enter Parliament - made its way through the Talkatora Road, TKR-I entrance. As the two-wheeler accidentally hit the flap barrier, it unhooked from its loop. Technically, a siren should have alerted the security at the Parliament then and there, but the system refused to function. As a result, security officials monitoring the CCTV in the office adjacent to the flap barrier came out a few minutes later and as the scooterist was an official of the Parliament, he was allowed inside.

But, later senior officers pondered over the issue and an official complaint was lodged at the control room, a copy of which was sent to senior Parliament security officials. "The system is meant to function at the time when an intruder tries to enter Parliament forcibly. It was installed after the Parliament attack incident in 2001 and was updated recently in the wake of US President Barack Obama's visit. However, today it didn't work when such a situation did come about, though accidentally," a senior security official stated.

Sources said that the system is called CCS - Central Command System - that is connected to an LCS - Local Command System. According to the mechanism if a flap barrier unhooks from its loop and falls down, it would alert everyone followed by the security drill.

"The technical team inspects all the systems on a daily basis and the flap barriers are checked in the morning to make sure they are working properly and they did it today also, but it didn't work when actually needed," sources said.

The sources further said that as far as electricity front is concerned, the system is backed with a UPS on a 24-hour basis and if there is a power failure an automatic generator will take over. Considering this fact, it seems that the fault was technical.

Sources said that a report has been sought from the technical department by the senior officers. Based on it Parliament security will consider taking up the matter with company that has provided the system.
When a joint director level officer was contacted he refused to comment and said: "I am not supposed to tell you everything."u00a0