The Times of India          04.09.2013

NMC proposes CCTVs in 176 squares

NAGPUR: There's a ray of hope that the city would soon get CCTV surveillance. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has submitted a proposal to the state government requesting Rs 47 crore to install closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) at 176 squares. Minister of state for planning and finance Rajendra Mulak has taken the initiative in this regard, to control rising crime in the city.

Stressing on the need for CCTVs, Mulak told TOI the city badly requires the system due to its rapid growth and increase in crimes. "The city is a happening place and one of the major cities in the state. The union government too has been pressing states to ensure CCTV surveillance in major cities. This makes the city safer and also helps the police department curb crime rate by tracking culprits, especially in hit and run cases. I am taking the effort, but all depends on the government. Hope for the best; I am hopeful of getting the proposal approved," he said.

Municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane said the proposal has been submitted to the state urban development department.

NMC's electrical department prepared the proposal after studying systems installed in Bhopal and Pune. A senior NMC official said installation will be done by the civic body while operation and maintenance will be with the police department.

"Like traffic signals, there will be CCTVs in 176 squares. The state-of-the-art system will have audio-video capability, allowing conversation with a person at the square from the control centre. Traffic police have six divisions in the city. Our proposal divides the 176 squares into six divisions, with each division having a control centre for CCTVs installed in the division. There will also be a centralized system to track all CCTVs," he said.

Sources at NMC told TOI, Mulak asked the civic chief to prepare the proposal after discussion at government level. "Mulak also wrote to the civic body, asking for a proposal, making us hopeful about a nod from the state government."

The police department had first come up with a proposal to install CCTVs at major squares in the city a couple of years ago. The department also installed a CCTV at Variety Square on trial basis, but removed it after some time.