Revenue dept may manage CCTVS

NEWDELHI: The Delhi government may consider making the revenue department the custodian of the 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras that it plans to install across the Capital, instead of the Resident’s Welfare Associations (RWAS).

As per a draft proposal, among the standard operating procedures (SOPS) being prepared by the Public Works Department (PWD ) there is a provision for giving full access to the live feed from the cameras to two representatives from resident or market associations. These two would be part of a sub-divisional committee that will be set up for the monitoring and upkeep of the cameras.

The SOPS are a major contention over the project with the L-G setting up a committee to evolve the procedures and the government countering that it was the job of the elected representatives and not some panel appointed by the L-G

Officials said that the file containing the SOPS was sent to PWD minister Satyendar Jain on May 9. After the minister’s approval, it will be sent to all departments for their comments and then put up for the Cabinet’s nod. To address privacy concerns, the draft SOP states that the CCTV system will be declared as “protected” under Section 70 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

“Also, PWD, revenue department and Delhi police should be authorised to access the CCTV system being installed,” the draft proposal, which was accessed by HT, reads.

In order to avoid duplication with the police’s plan of installing cameras and to ensure quick response, the draft mandates the revenue department to work in close coordination with the home department for smooth flow of information between them and the Delhi police.

According to the SOPS, a central command control (CCC) office will be set up at a central location. The PWD headquarters could be one of the options. “In the CCC, data servers will pool the data from CCTV cameras. At pre-defined i ntervals, video images will also be streamed to the servers. The option for extracting video feed of a particular camera from CCC will also be available,” the SOPS state.

The command centre will be manned by an employer of the agency that will set up the CCTVS and occasionally, PWD officers will supervise its functioning, it adds.

The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 571 crore with Rs 321 crore being the capital expenditure and Rs 250 crore are likely to be incurred over the next five years on maintenance of the cameras.

We will go to the public at ward level and tell them how the BJP and LG are stalling CCTVS. Public will decide SOP for cameras’ installation, not a shahanshah’s (Baijal) committee.

ARVIND KEJRIWAL, Delhi CM