Many ATMs in city still without security guards

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 6

It seems that banks located in the city have not learned any lesson from the recent cases of ATM breaks and thefts. Many banks are yet to place guards outside their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) located in the city.

Interestingly, one can easily witness people flouting the instruction that the doors of the ATMs bear. As per the instruction, there should be a single person in the cabin to do instant banking. While at times over five persons can be seen standing inside the cabin waiting for their turn in any of the ATM site in the city.

Moreover, the access log facility has ended in the ATMs, in which, a customer has to swap the card on the door. After the recognition of the card, the door lock gets opened automatically.

The task of technical maintenance of the ATMs is assigned to private companies, which are hired on a contractual basis. However, the security issues are decided by bank officials while taking the head office of the bank in the loop. Sources in the State Bank of India revealed that if the branch authorities feel any need to deploy a security guard for the ATM, they could ask the head office for it.

Interestingly, neither the police have been able to get any breakthrough in the recent cases nor the banks have been able to decide on the policy regarding stationing night guards at the ATMs.

Dinesh Shukla, manager, State Bank of India, said, “Security arrangements differ from bank to bank. We have complete three security guards at every ATM who work in three different shifts.”

A senior bank officer said, “It is surprising that the bank managements have been taking the issue lightly even after so many cases of ATM theft were reported in the past. Some of the private sector banks have made sure that a guard is stationed at each of their ATMs. There is no chance that a thief may think of targeting such ATMs.”

Recently, police officials had also instructed bank officials to make adequate security arrangement while transferring cash through vehicles.