‘LG’S panel never acted as barrier to CCTV project’

NEW DELHI: The Lieutenant Governor-appointed monitoring committee never acted as a “barrier and obstacle” to the implementation of the Delhi government’s CCTV camera project, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Manoj Parida said on Saturday.

However, Parida – who heads the Committee – said a final decision on the government’s standard operating procedure (SOP) is yet to be taken, but assured that the process of installing CCTV cameras will continue.

“The LG’S committee never acting as a barrier and obstacle to this (CCTV project)...our only concern is about who will control the data so that there is no misuse of video feeds,” Parida said, stressing that installation of CCTVS will start in three months.

LG Anil Baijal had constituted a panel to frame SOP for the installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras, which the Arvind Kejriwal government had strongly opposed, claiming that the panel had suggested for police licensing before installation of CCTV cameras.

However, Parida said the panel will not ask for police

licensing before the installation. He said that the installation of CCTV cameras, being executed by the Public Works Department, and formation of a regulatory framework are two different issues.

Another senior official said that installation of CCTVS cannot be stopped until the committee takes a final decision.

“The committee has received SOP from the government’s side which is being

looked into... there is no blockage on part of the LG on the matter,” he said.

Recently, the LG office had also clarified that the file pertaining to the matter is not pending with it.

The CCTV camera project, aimed at ensuring the safety of citizens, had led to flash-point between the Aam Aadmi Partyled dispensation and the LG in the past.