AAP MLAS, ministers to march to LG house
CAMERA ROW Govt says it will ask LG to allow installation of CCTV cameras across the city
NEWDELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said he along with his cabinet colleagues and all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAS would march to lieutenant governor Anil Baijal’s residence at 3pm on Monday to urge him to allow the government to install CCTV cameras across the city – a key election promise made by the party in 2015.
The L-G and the AAP government have been at loggerheads on issues such as transfer of officials and implementing projects such as mohalla clinics, doorstep delivery of services and advisers appointed to the Cabinet. The CCTV row is the latest addition to the list of controversies.
The project envisions the installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across the city with each constituency having at least 2,000 such cameras. “All ministers and MLAS will walk to the L-G’S house from my residence on Monday at 3pm to urge the L-G to not to follow the BJP’S directions and allow CCTV cameras to be installed all over Delhi,” Kejriwal tweeted .
Earlier this week, Baijal had formed a “high-level committee” headed by principal secretary (home) Manoj Parida to prepare a common framework for the installation, operation and monitoring of CCTV cameras .
Kejriwal on Friday had also sought time from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet and discuss the issue.
Addressing a press conference at his residence, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said the CCTV project is in the final stages of implementation when the L-G “created a roadblock”.
He said the AAP in its manifesto for 2015 assembly elections had mentioned that CCTVS would be installed at places where people want them and the project was drafted accordingly.
“The L-G said nothing in the last three years when officers were creating hurdles in the CCTV project. But now when the tender had been allotted to a PSU, suddenly he constituted a committee. We have decided to meet the L-G at his residence. The march will be led by the CM. We have also requested the L-G to allot us time on Monday as we want to meet him and get this matter resolved,” Sisodia said.
Sisodia on Saturday also wrote a letter to the L-G in this regard.
In his letter, Sisodia claimed that after the L-G “stopped” the project, several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAS) met the government and proposed that they install CCTVS at their own expenses.
The deputy CM further said that incidents like chain snatching, crime against women were increasing and witnessing it, RWAS and market associations were installing CCTVS in the areas at their own expenses.