The Indian Express   30.08.2012

CCTV plan across town gets green signal

PCMC standing committee sanctions Rs 2.5 crore; in another move, officials conducting demolition drive given insurance cover

THE standing committee of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore for installation of 168 CCTVs at 81 locations across town. Pune police would install the CCTVs in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune city and the amount for the purpose would be handed over to them.

At the committee meeting, some members suggested that owners of cable networks be given permission to install the CCTVs but the committee decided to allot the entire work to Pune police, which placed the proposal before the PCMC.

A few members said that owners of cable networks had shown willingness to install CCTVs free of cost. After debating the issue, the standing committee gave its sanction to the Pune Police proposal, which the civic administration had placed before the committee. The proposal stated that in the wake of the serial blasts on Jangli Maharaj Road in Pune city, there was a pressing need to install CCTVs at chowks and crowded spots in the industrial town.

The proposal stated that the city police would install CCTVs and maintain them. Additional Municipal Commissioner Prakash Kadam said the PCMC has already installed CCTVs at its headquarters in Pimpri and at the civic-run YCM hospital.

“At both places, CCTVs have been functioning smoothly with round-the-clock monitoring by the a control room,” he said.

The PCMC administration decided to provide the insurance cover following threats and violent reaction of residents to the recent demolition drives by the civic body.

Even Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi had been threatened with dire consequences if he went ahead with the demolition. The civic chief has since been provided security cover 24 X 7.

Pardeshi has, however, said he was not worried and “such threats are part of his work profile.”

Meanwhile, the Dr Shrikar Pardeshi-led PCMC administration has in the last two drives out of three expressed its resolve to carry out the demolition drive unmindful of threats and opposition from several MLAs who have even staged a protest outside the state Assembly. The last two demolition drives were in Sangvi and Pimple Gurav areas, the bastion of MLA Laxman Jagtap, considered among the most powerful politicians in Pimpri-Chinchwad. In the last Assembly elections, Jagtap, who had been trailing during the counting of votes started leading again after votes from Sangvi and Gurav Pimple areas were taken up.

Jagtap himself had acknowledged that these two areas had played a crucial role in his victory. “However, PCMC is now bulldozing its way through the same area where Jagtap wields considerable influence,” said activist Shridkar Chalkha.

On Friday, a four-storey building that was under construction and the foundation of another building were demolished in Sangvi area. The building was at Omkar Colony in Pimple Gurav area. A huge crowd had gathered to prevent the drive, but police presence thwarted the move. In Sangvi, the foundation of an illegal building on a three-acre plot reserved for a playground was demolished at Sai chowk. City engineer M T Kamble led the demolition team that had five deputy engineers, eight junior engineers and 15 labourers.

Over 100 policemen ensured security during the drive. On Saturday, four illegal buildings admeasuring 18,000 sq ft were demolished in Pavana river bed.