Internal security bill made public for suggestions

Aiming to strengthen the internal security, the state government had envisaged the Maharashtra Protection of Internal Security Act (MPISA) last year. The draft for the same, which was given a green signal by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last year, was recently made public seeking suggestions for modifications.

“The draft of the Act has been made public for more suggestions. We will modify the same if suggestions are really good. The whole purpose of the MPISA is to protect the state from any threat,” said additional chief secretary of home department K.P. Bakshi.

Besides this, the state government’s new Act for internal security has special focus on the strengthening of coastal security and has suggested steps to be taken for the same.

The draft of the Maharashtra Internal Security Act 2016 alls to “Identify those vessel types and facilities that pose a high risk of being involved in a transportation security incident. The government shall conduct a detailed vulnerability assessment of the facilities and vessels that are likely to be involved in a transportation security incident.”

The Act has provision for imprisonment for three years and fine for threatening the internal security of the state. Emphasising that internal security could be compromised due to various reasons, the state wants to protect its borders, coastal areas and Critical Infrastructure Sectors like dams and nuclear reactors by taking various measures through the new Act.

As per the draft of the Act, “Internal security means in case of the state facing threats within its borders, either caused or provoked, prompted, or proxied by a hostile foreign power, perpetrated even by such groups that use a failed, failing or weak hostile foreign power, causing insurgency, terrorism or any other subversive act targeting innocent citizens, causing animosity between groups, violence, destroy, or attempt to destroy public and private establishments.”

By means of taking public safety measures, the state wants to protect access controls and close circuit television surveillance. The state wants to protect CCTV surveillance at entry and exit points of the establishments and their parking areas, surveillance through CCTV surveillance cameras with a provision for storage of video footage for 30 days or more and the technical equipment, adhering to the specification notified by the state government from time to time.

The draft has also mentioned Critical Infrastructure Sectors (CIS) and asked the state to notify it. The CIS include communications, commercial facilities, dams, defence institute bases, emergency services, energy, financial services, government facilities, information technology, nuclear reactors, materials and waste, transportation systems, water and wastewater systems and chemical sector.

The Act has provision for imprisonment and fine for violating the norms proposed. “Any person who violates any of the provisions of this act be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or with fine which may extend to Rs 50,000 or with both,” it said.

It has told the government to set up a State Internal Security Committee.