Parliamentary panel slams Delhi Police, MHA for delay in commissioning CCTVs in high security areas

New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has pulled up the Delhi Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for delay in commissioning of CCTV surveillance system in high security areas in the national capital. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its report has strongly observed that both the Delhi Police and MHA have “failed to assess and determine technical requirement for CCTV surveillance system in high security areas which resulted in a CCTV surveillance project awarded in February 2013 for New Delhi and Central district, remaining incomplete as of October 2017 despite an expenditure of Rs 42.94 crore”. [caption id=“attachment_5190631” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The panel has also shown its dissatisfaction on the Delhi Police over incurring a huge monthly expenditure of Rs 21.02 lakh on hiring CCTV cameras for these areas. The PAC report was tabled in Parliament last week. The panel further observed that despite the fact that MHA in July 2012 approved the use of 1,888 surplus CCTV cameras and other leftover equipment from the Commonwealth Games 2010 for use during phase 2(b), the same could not be made operational due to non-receipt of sufficient quantity of CWG items for three years, between July 2012 and June 2015. Slamming the police for keeping the leftover CWG equipment idle for so many years, the panel said: “Delhi Police has incurred a wasteful expenditure of a huge amount of Rs 21.02 lakh per month for renting CCTV causing double loss to the government exchequer”. The panel also pulled up the police department as to why it did not seek the intervention of MHA while sending numerous letters to Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport (MYAS) and other agencies concerned for transfer of equipment by the venue owners such as Sports Authority of India, Delhi University and Jamia Milia Islamia University. It observed that the Delhi Police also did not proactively engage with the ministries and concerned organisations to expedite supply of CWG equipment. The panel also questioned the MHA as to why it did not monitor the implementation of the project and aggressively pursue the matter with the concerned organisations despite giving approval for the same. On technological advancement issue, the panel observed, the Delhi Police despite changing its specifications to procure the advanced CCTV cameras to be installed in sensitive areas and VIP and VVIP movement areas of New Delhi, the amended specifications have not been finalised to date, purely indicating lack of coordination between the police and MHA. The panel has recommended forming of a committee by the MHA to enable effective coordination and speedy resolution of issues in future.