Soon, CCTV cameras to be installed in Capital

The Delhi government is all set to launch the project of installing CCTV cameras throughout the Capital following the Delhi high court order. A meeting was held in this regard on Thursday morning. The high court directed that the framing of rules be undertaken as early as possible.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Intelligent Communication System India Limited (ICSIL), Delhi Police legal cell, IT department of the Delhi government, the Home department (Delhi government), Public Works Department (PWD), health department of the Delhi government among other departments.

The AAP government earlier in October conveyed to the Delhi high court along with the information about the state government’s willingness to bear the cost of setting up CCTV cameras all over Delhi. The decision was taken during a meeting with Delhi Police officers on October 8. According to the proposal, the CCTV cameras will be installed in all police stations and the 44 “red flag zones”, which have been identified after a crime mapping study conducted last year.

A Division Bench of the high court, comprising Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, directed the Delhi government and Delhi Police to frame draft rules for controlling access to live feeds from the cameras, while observing that these should cover aspects of protection of privacy, custody, archiving of data and prevention of misuse of live feeds.

The AAP, earlier in its election manifesto on February 7, had promised to enhance women’s safety by installing around 10-15 lakh CCTV cameras across the national Capital.

The Delhi high court has been monitoring women’s safety in the national Capital after it took suo motu cognizance of the December 16, 2012, gang-rape incident.