MMC, district authorities have made no financial provision for their maintenance
The state of the CCTV cameras lying defunct over the last one decade for want of upkeep and maintenance.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Post-Pahalgam terror attack, security and law enforcement agencies literally went overboard to tighten security in the state as well, not leaving anything for chance.
Police teams fanned out to every nook and corner of the commercial capital to unearth illegalities, including measures to identify migrants staying in shanties sans tenant verification.
What about the Big Brother? Are the Closed Circuit TV surveillance cameras in place to monitor anti-socials and traffic violators? Well, the answer is a firm no with the much talked about CCTV surveillance cameras still a far cry in the city.
Consider this: It's not uncommon to find the men-in-uniform hopping from one business establishment to another just to lay their hands on CCTV footage in times of crimes, including murders and robberies.
Reason: The commercial capital is still not under surveillance cameras with the cameras installed on power and other poles lying in a defunct state.
In fact, visitors to the heart of the commercial capital are welcomed by defunct cameras hanging on a pole near the Old Collectorate building.
Citizen's journalist Cedric D'Costa said it is really sad that the CCTV surveillance camera have gone for a toss and no attempt is made to replace the defunct cameras. "We have come across the defunct state of the CCTV cameras for years now. Sadly, the cameras are not replaced till date", he lamented.
A traffic police officer pointed out that the department had been undertaking correspondence with the authorities, including the Margao Municipal Council, but in vain. "Our office file on the CCTV cameras is full of correspondence, but the CCTV cameras project is still lying in a defunct state", the official added.
Closed Circuit TV
surveillance cameras (subhead)
It was over a decade ago that the commercial capital was brought under the CCTV surveillance cameras, courtesy former South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha.
Around 70 cameras were installed across the city, covering the entire Margao Municipal area right from Margao to Fatorda. The CCTV cameras came in handy for the traffic department to rein in traffic violators from the control room.
Sadly, the Big Brother soon went on a sleep mode for want of upkeep and maintenance. Reason. The MPLAD scheme of the MPs have no provision for upkeep and maintenance. What further compounded the problem was that the local Margao Municipal body nor the district authorities made financial provision for the maintenance of the CCTV cameras.
Last year, the Margao Municipal Council had adopted a resolution to approach the Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanavde to fund the CCTV project under the MPLAD scheme.
Incidentally, MP Tanavade recently told the media during his visit to the city that his office has not received CCTV camera project proposed by the Margao Municipal Council.
Incidentally, former Rajya Sabha MP late Shantaram Naik had sanctioned CCTV cameras project in Fatorda during his tenure upon the request of Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai. The project, however, was stuck up in row over the issue of complying with the codal formalities.
Phase-wise
CCTV project
In a bid to overcome resource constraints, the authorities have mooted a proposal to implement the CCTV cameras project phase-wise in the commercial capital.
A recent meeting between senior police officials and the Margao Municipal Council have now resolved to take up the CCTV project in a phased manner.
In fact, with the CCTV surveillance camera project expected to cost crores of rupees, the agencies have decided to install the cameras in city's congested New market and the Gandhi market, the adjoining roads and the busy Isidore Baptista road.
A senior municipal official said the minutes of the joint meeting will be placed before the Municipal Council for funds The idea behind going for the project phase-wise is to kickstart the project with funds and go about implementing the project in the entire city', the official informed.
