Senior officials of the Punjab Police claim that security arrangements across the state have been beefed up following the blast at a Ludhiana multiplex on Sunday, which claimed six lives. However, a ground check by this correspondent found nothing to support their claims.

Hardly any police nakas were visible during the journey from Delhi, through Haryana and Punjab, and there were no police personnel deployed to keep a check on visitors entering the state via the national highway.

When queried about why the security arrangements hadn't been tightened in spite of a terrorist attack, Ludhiana's Senior Superintendent of Police R K Jaiwal told me that my impression was wrong and I had probably traveled via the wrong route.

"I have just come back home after overseeing the deployment of the forces. You can take a round of the city and you will get a taste of our arrangements," he said.

When told that we have traveled by the national highway that goes all the way to Amritsar [Images] and Pathankot, Jaiswal admitted that the police will need more time to put the security arrangements in order.

According to sources in the Punjab Police, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's visit to Ludhiana had upset their security plans. On Tuesday, a meeting of senior police officials was convened to ensure that the shortcomings in the system are rectified to prevent such dastardly terrorist attacks. The Punjab Police has also sought help from the state's Intelligence Bureau.