Copy of

Public (Law  & Order.B) Dept.
Secretariat, Chennai-9

From
Thiru D.Jothi Jagarajan, I.A.S.,
Secretary to Government.

To
All Secretaries to Government, Chennai-9.

The Director General of Police, Chennai-4.

The Commissioner of Police, Chennai Police, Chennai-8.

All Heads of Department.

All District Collectors.

Dear Sir / Madam,

Sub :   Law and Order - Monthly Law and Order meeting held on 17.02.2009 - Follow up action on security arrangements in Government offices - Regarding.

*   *   *

During the Law and Order meeting held on 17.02.2009 at 5.00.P.M., the Chief Secretary has expressed his concern over inadequate security arrangement in the Government offices and has directed that security audit should be conducted for all the Government offices in the State and a fool proof security system to be devised to ensure adequate security for the Government offices in the State. The Chief Secretary has further observed that the security system to be devised for the Government offices should not be as much personnel intensive as a systemic in nature.

            2.  The Chief Secretary has further directed that a Nodal officer should be appointed for all the Government buildings possessing multiple offices while the Head of the office of the single department office buildings shall be the nodal officer for that building.  The nodal officers shall be responsible for conducting security audit of their office building and devise security mechanism based on the security audit and ensure the functionality of the security system besides undertaking periodical review of the functionality of the security system installed. The Chief Secretary has directed that the security audit should be completed for all Government offices within a period of 15 days in consultation with the local Police authorities.

3.  In this regard, for the offices located in Chennai, the officers designated to act as Nodal officer for conducting security audit, preparing security plan and putting the security plan in place besides monitoring the functionality of the security plan on periodical basis shall be as per the Annexure attached to this letter.  In respect of the Districts, the responsibility for ensuring security audit of each Government office shall be with the District Collectors. The District Collectors themselves shall act as Nodal officers for the Collectorate complex while in respect of other Government offices functioning the District outside the Collectorate, the Collector shall appoint a nodal officer who shall be held responsible for security audit and security plan of each Government office. The Collector shall conduct periodical reviews regarding functionality of the security systems in Collectorate as well as other Government offices in the Districts through periodical review meetings with the nodal officers along with Superintendent of Police of the Districts.

            4.  Hence, all the nodal officers and the Collectors are requested to conduct security audit of the Government offices immediately under their control and prepare functional security plan and submit the same to the respective Secretary to the Government for approval.  While conducting the security audit, the following issues may be considered :-

1. Discourage multiple entry and exit points in Government offices and ensure that one or two entry and exit points alone are operated in the Government offices.
2. One or two Reception officers with Reception register should be placed at each entry point who shall record the entry of the persons entering the Government offices.
3. Identity cards are issued to all the employees and no employee should be allowed to enter the office without showing his/her identity card.  It should be strictly monitored by the security personnel.
4. For the visitors, a system of visitor pass may be devised along with the entry of visitor details in the register.
5. Feasibility of fixing CCT cameras at each entry point may also be examined.
6. Security messages shall be displayed at visible locations detailing the rules and regulations relating to security aspects.
7. Installation and functioning of security hardware to be ensured at all vulnerable points.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/---
for Secretary to Government.

/True Copy/

                                                                                      Section Officer

Annexure