The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will permanently bar visitors from carrying gift boxes and large bags into its main headquarters after repeated bomb-threat emails targeting civic departments over the past month, officials said on 14 November.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair said the decision followed continuing security concerns and objections raised by social organisations. Under the proposed restrictions, visitors carrying gift boxes or articles packed in large bags will not be permitted to enter the civic headquarters.
The latest security action follows a police search of the PMC headquarters on Thursday after the civic administration received another bomb threat by email. Police inspected the building but did not find anything suspicious, according to the report.
The municipal administration had earlier introduced a temporary prohibition on distributing gifts inside the main building during Diwali. Following the repeated threats, officials have now decided to make restrictions on gift boxes and large bags permanent rather than retain them as a festival-period measure.
The PMC headquarters receives thousands of citizens every day for civic services and administrative work. The restrictions therefore apply to visitors entering the main municipal building, where security arrangements are being strengthened in response to the threats.
Officials will also monitor visitors displaying suspicious behaviour, according to Nair. The searches carried out after the bomb threats have so far not revealed any suspicious object, but the civic administration is treating the emails seriously and is continuing with tighter screening measures.
The permanent restrictions are intended to reduce the number of unexamined packages entering the headquarters. The available information does not specify the start date for enforcement, the process for screening permitted bags or whether exceptions will be provided for official deliveries and essential items. The PMC administration’s next steps are expected to focus on implementing the entry controls and strengthening security arrangements at the building.
