Govt mulling plan; shops could be asked to share cost of installing CCTVs
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To have an enhanced and technology-driven security network, the state government will call for a meeting of all departments concerned to see whether commercial establishments and developers can be asked to install hi-tech CCTV cameras based on parameters laid down by the home department.
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On Monday, through a calling-attention notice, the issue of CCTV cameras was raised in the Legislative Assembly. Participating in the discussion, Yogesh Sagar, BJP MLA from Mumbai’s Charkop constituency, suggested that the government should make it mandatory for all shops, commercial establishments and developers to install hi-tech CCTV cameras for better security.
“Shops should be asked to install cameras whenever they approach the BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation] for renewal of permissions. Similarly, the developers should be given IOD [intimation of disapproval] with a condition of installing cameras, that too with specification and parameters given by the home department. Shops could be asked to share the cost of installation,” Sagar said.
Replying to Sagar’s suggestion, Yogesh Kadam, minister of state for home, stated that municipal corporations and developers are governed by the urban development department. “The suggestions are good. But a joint meeting of home, urban development and information technology departments will be needed to see whether it can be implemented. A meeting will be called on this and Yogesh Sagar will be invited for the same,” Kadam added.
Unified policy and SoP
During the debate on CCTVs, many legislators cited that cameras are installed by various stakeholders such as local bodies, the police and with MLA funds or DPDC (district planning and development committee). Legislators cited that different agencies are involved in the installation of cameras, specifications keep changing—leading to confusion, and more importantly, there is not enough manpower to monitor collected data.
Replying to the queries, Kadam said, “It is true that many times the cameras are not as per the specifications of the home department. Many agencies install cameras; the home department's role is limited to monitoring. Tendering, installation and maintenance are the responsibility of the respective agency. Hence, it is true that a unified policy and SoP [standard operating procedure] for installation is needed and the government will soon try to have the same implemented.”
Crime prevention
Kadam said that police are now going for artificial intelligence-driven cameras so that they can be useful not only to catch criminals, but even be of great help in preventing crime too. “It is not possible to have a screen for every network of cameras. Nor does one have the manpower to monitor every camera. Hence, all efforts will be made to ensure that CCTV cameras installed [no matter by which government agency] are AI-driven and have integrated systems for data collected through these technologies,” he stated.
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