Amritsar
Decks have been cleared for the installation of the state-of-the-art security apparatus at the Integrated Check Post, Attari, which facilitates trade between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The much-sought-after full body 22-wheel truck scanners are going to be a reality here – the first in India.

The Ministry of Home has sanctioned Rs 40 crore for installing two sets of scanners at the ICP.

High-definition CCTV cameras with night-vision facility worth Rs 4.75 crore are being installed to strengthen the security cover.

At present, vehicles are checked manually with the help of sniffer dogs, which was never a fool-proof mechanism. Also, the existing analog-tech CCTV cameras are outdated.

The issue had been raised numerous times by Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik in Parliament. He today met Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju at New Delhi to express his gratitude.

Full body truck scanners can detect narcotics, contraband and fissile material. On March 22, 2015, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that a full-truck scanner would soon be installed, but he didn’t give any deadline for it.

“The demand for scanners has lingered on since 2005. The manual checking with sniffer dogs is not reliable. Drugs and arms from Pakistan cross due to security lapse. In the absence of scanners, trucks can be seen in long queues, waiting for clearance. Now, these scanners will save time and help curb the smuggling of forbidden articles,” Malik said.

It has been learnt that besides Attari ICP, full-body truck scanners will be installed at Petrapole ICP on the India-Bangladesh border, Raxaul ICP on the India-Nepal border and the check posts of Uri-Salamabad and Poonch-Chakkan-da-bagh.