Despite MHA’s Rs.116 Cr release, J&K Police’s ‘Mission CCTVs’ in cold store
While the terrorism related incidents have swelled manifold especially the targeted killings but ‘Mission CCTV’ of Jammu and Kashmir Police to install around 30,000 devices in all the districts across the Union Territory is allegedly in cold store for the past two years despite the Union Home Ministry has released Rs.116 crores for the purpose.
“In view of the need of CCTV cameras in the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, the plan of the Jammu and Kashmir Police to install 3,000 CCTV cameras in all the districts is shelved in the files for the past two years,” reliable sources said.
They said that considering the importance of the ‘third eye’ in terms of security, the Ministry of Home Affairs had also released Rs.116 crore to the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the year 2020 under police modernization for the installation of cameras.
“The police then tied up with a consulting company and the company’s engineers also visited all the districts of the UT and prepared a report, in which they had specifically identified the places where CCTV cameras are to be installed and can play an important role,” sources added.
They further said that the report was submitted to the Police Headquarters in which dimensions, quality of cameras and their operation, was mentioned.
Apart from this, sources said that the cameras are also to be installed on about 300 km long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to keep watch on any terrorist activity, movement of anti-national elements and those involved in illegal activities.
Notably, in the year 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had suggested the Ministry of Home Affairs install CCTVs to monitor the 300 km long Jammu-Srinagar highway.
“Taking cognizance, the Home Ministry had asked the police to install CCTV on the highway but the Jammu and Kashmir Police has yet to take a call in this regard,” they said adding that under the police modernization, the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed to install 3000 cameras for which Rs.116 crore was also sanctioned to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
As in the past, several terrorist attacks were reported on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway besides IEDs and in view of the threat of terrorist attack during the Amarnath Yatra, CCTV cameras have to play a key role.
The Jammu Police in the year 2010, had installed 33 CCTV cameras at various markets but most of them got damaged or gone defunct due to lack of maintenance, sources added and said that the devices were not fitted with night vision devices and it stopped functioning during the evening hours.
“The work of CCTV cameras installation at all sensitive places across the Jammu and Kashmir is in progress and the cameras will be installed soon after repairing the technical problems,” said a police official.
