Jayant Sinha's ATM security remarks draw flak

Minister had said number of robberies had to be 'accepted'

The government on Friday came under fire from the Opposition over lack of security to customers at ATMs.

The Opposition leaders took exception to Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha’s suggestion in the Lok Sabha that the number of incidents of robbery, at present, had to be “accepted” given the large number of ATMs across the country.

They criticised Sinha as he spoke in a lighter vein, while answering a question on ATM security, that the government would consider deploying “moustache-sporting” security guards at vulnerable locations to “scare off thieves”. His remark prompted mild laughter in the House.

“There are over 1.8 lakh ATMs and over 1 lakh branches of different banks across the country. If we look at the number of incidents of robberies or violence and the number of ATMs and bank’s branches, we need to accept that from 250 to 300 such incidents will take place,” said the minister, .

The minister was replying to a question by BJP member Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre who highlighted the lack of security at various ATMs and asked the government if it would take any action against the concerned banks.

As the BJP leader asked whether the government would make arrangements to provide training to security guards, pointing out that many of the those deployed at the ATMs were physically weak and untrained, the minister said: “It’s a good suggestion. We will definitely tell the banks to make their security guards physically strong.”

“Some members are suggesting that those guards should also have big moustache. Well, if their moustache will scare thieves, we will consider deploying such guards also,” he added in a lighter vein.

Though many members laughed at the minister’s remark, the Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders took exception to his statement.

“We enjoyed an occasion for hilarity during all the grim news of our times. This is clearly no laughing matter,” Congress member Shashi Tharoor said.

The same issue had been raised in an un-starred question on December 5 and at that point the minister had indicated that there was 147 bank robberies with Rs 28.53 crore being stolen in the last three years from 2011 to 2014, he added.