Sector V may be home to a 24x7 industry, but its security set-up hardly matches the round-the-clock work schedule. In fact, state police kiosks at key points in the tech town, and elsewhere in Salt Lake, stand bereft of human presence throughout the day and night.

“The idea behind setting up the kiosks was not to have cops stationed there all the time. We rely more on the dial-100 system. The kiosks are used for surprise checks,” claimed North 24-Parganas police superintendent Praveen Kumar.

The information technology (IT) bosses are cautious about commenting on the shut kiosks. “I have not seen the closed kiosks. But the cops should not be absent from them. Security in Sector V is of prime importance,” said D.K. Choudhury, chairman of Salt Lake Committee and CEO of SkyTech Solutions.

SkyTech’s office is in Bengal Intelligent Park. A kiosk opposite to the building has been shut for days. Even City Centre, in Sector I, which draws the most number of people in the township, has kiosks that are deserted. Here’s what Metro saw on Friday night:

Where: Opposite Bengal Intelligent Park

When: 11 pm

What we saw: Steady flow of people in and out of Infinity and Bengal Intelligent Park. Buses and cars are plying. The kiosk, however, is closed.

Companyspeak: “Our office is in the heart of Sector V. It is spread across three buildings and the workforce runs into thousands. But I have not seen any police picket anywhere in the area,” said an official of an IT major.

Policespeak: “These decisions are taken by senior officers. We cannot comment on the matter,’ said an officer of Bidhannagar East police station.

Where: Karunamoyee island

When: 11.30 pm

What we saw: The kiosk at the crossroad is locked and the lights inside are switched off. But the road is abuzz with pedestrians and vehicles.

Companyspeak: “IT is the most pampered sector. So much so that it is kept outside the purview of bandhs. But the chief minister’s police force clearly does not realise its importance,” said an IT boss in Infinity.

Where: In front of City Centre

When: 10.30 pm

What we saw: The restaurants and the multiplex in the mall are open. There is a steady stream of traffic and pedestrians in the area. The autorickshaws, too, are plying. Only the kiosk is shut.

Policespeak: “There are no cops in the kiosk after 10 pm,” admitted officer-in-charge of Bidhannagar North police station Debasish Pan.

Where: Off City Centre car park

When: 10.40 pm

What we saw: The kiosk is dark and deserted.

Visitorspeak: “If the kiosks are not being utilised, why were they set up in the first place?” asked Deepti Porwal, a visitor at the mall.

Policespeak: “We do not have enough manpower to deploy at the kiosks round the clock,” offered Pan.