Kejriwal writes to PM on CCTV project, accuses Baijal of creating ‘hindrances’

ANOTHER ROW? Chief minister asks Modi to intervene, says LG is ‘playing politics’ on the issue of women’s safety in the city

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to be able to go-ahead with the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) key poll promise of installing 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras in the city.

Accusing lieutenant governor Anil Baijal of “playing politics” on the issue of women’s safety by “hindering” the installation of CCTVS cameras, Kejriwal sought time from the PM to meet and discuss the issue.

Earlier this week, Baijal had formed a “high-level committee” headed by the principal secretary(home) Manoj Parida to prepare a common framework for the installation, operation and monitoring of CCTV cameras in the city — a project which the AAP government said was in the final stages of implementation.

Amid the opposition, the committee met on Friday. Parida held the meeting despite home and PWD minister Satyendar Jain asking him not to proceed with it. The secretary said the meeting went on for over an hour and best practices being used in different countries were discussed.

Jain had on Thursday written to Baijal, arguing that he had no jurisdiction to set up such a committee.

In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal said installation of CCTVS was for the security for women. He said after all objections to the project were cleared, a budget was passed, a cabinet nod was given and the contract was given to a PSU,, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

He wrote “...But, your L-G suddenly created hurdles. He (L-G) formed committee on CCTV project without informing us. Why was this committee constituted when process was completed and installation of CCTV cameras was to start? What will this committee do? If this committee had to be formed then we (government) should have been consulted.”

Phone calls and text messages to the L-G’S office did not elicit any response.

Kejriwal said formation of the committee without taking the elected government in confidence indicated the L-G had “illintentions”. “This committee’s main aim is to stop the installation of CCTVS at any cost,” he said.

“I request you to immediately order the L-G to allow installation of CCTV cameras in Delhi. This issue is connected to women’s security. You said in London there should be no politics on women’s security but now your L-G is doing politics...this is not right,” he said.

The L-G’S office had said the committee was formed when he found that every agency in Delhi, such as police, government, civic bodies, was haphazardly installing CCTV cameras on its own without coordination or following a standard operating protocol.

Parida said the committee has been formed solely for security purposes, which is why there are no members in the panel from the government’s department that would execute the CCTV camera project.

“The next meeting is scheduled next week. As directed by the L-G, the report will be submitted to him in 30 days. The committee is to ensure safety and privacy of people and therefore, it falls under law and order subject, a matter which comes directly under the L-G,” Parida said.

Other members in the committee include the law secretary, special commissioner of police(women security), a central government IT’S ministry representative, chief technical officer of Delhi police and special commissioner of police(cyber crime and technology)