)
Having initiated a pilot project in Delhi covering 126 ATMs, Punjab National Bank may install e-surveillance system in its offsite ATMs which will help in stopping ATM thefts in future. The Bank has already entrusted a private player to launch the project which is on testing stage and if everything goes well, the system would be installed in other ATMs as well..
“ We have an entrusted a private player to run pilot project covering 126 ATMs in Delhi. Under the e-surveillance system, sensors, a CCTV camera and audio system will be installed at ATMs to thwart ATM thefts. Suppose if anybody tries to break the ATM or whenever an attempt for burglary is made, the sensor will trigger an alert would be generated at Bank’s Head office, nearby Police station and the security service provider control room. Thereafter, response team will be activated for necessary action. ," ’said Rakesh Sethi, Executive Director, Punjab, National Bank.
He added that similarly if somebody’s tries to break the CCTV or other security system, an audible voice will warn the miscreant and further the system will inform the local branch, police station and the security service provider for necessary action. “ If the system is found satisfactory we may install it at other unguarded ATMs as well, ‘ he added further.
He informed that the Bank has over 1700 offsite ATMS across the country. Out of the total, 1000 are guarded and 700 are unguarded, so the first priority of the Bank would be to install e-surveillance system at the unguarded ATMs. In Punjab alone it has about over 700 ATMs.
It is worth noting that over Rs. 40 lakh were looted from the Bank’s ATMs last year in Punjab and the Bank has initiated the project to thwart this kind of theft in near future.
