By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi [India], February 20 : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared the headquarters of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) in New Delhi as a "prohibited place" under the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
The SPMCIL is engaged in the manufacture and production of currency and bank notes, security paper, non-judicial stamp papers, postal stamps and stationery, travel documents such as passport and visa, security certificates, cheques, bonds, warrant, special certificates with security features, security inks, circulation and commemorative coins, medallions, refining of gold and silver, and assay of precious metals.
The SPMCIL, a wholly owned Schedule 'A' Miniratna Category-I company of Government of India, was incorporated on January 13, 2006.
The management, control, maintenance and operations of the erstwhile nine production units under currency and coinage division, Department of Economic Affairs, under Ministry of Finance, were transferred to SPMCIL with effect from February 10, 2006. The nine production units comprise four Central government mints, two currency note presses, two security printing presses and one security paper mill.
The Ministry of Finance exercises its administrative control over SPMCIL through the board of directors.
In a notification issued by the Internal Security-I Division of the MHA on February 18, the Central government exercised powers conferred under sub-clause (c) of clause (8) of section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, to issue the order prohibiting SPMCIL under the OSA.
The order supersedes an earlier notification dated February 15, 2022, except for actions already taken under the previous notification.
According to the notification, the decision was taken considering that information related to the premises, or any damage thereto, could be useful to an enemy.
The government stated that it is expedient to take precautions to prevent the entry of unauthorised persons into the premises.
The declared "prohibited place" is the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited, Headquarters Office, located in Tower-G, World Trade Centre in Delhi's Nauroji Nagar.
Under the Official Secrets Act, areas designated as prohibited places are subject to enhanced security restrictions. Unauthorised access, photography, sketching, or collection of information related to such premises can attract penal provisions under the Act.
The move is aimed at strengthening security measures around sensitive government establishments dealing with strategic and high-security operations.
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