PANAJI
An effective electronic surveillance system in the public areas is very much needed to strengthen crime detention, but it has remained only a dream for Goa under the BJP government, said AAP in a press release on Wednesday.
Recent cases in the major cities of the State have proved that the government has failed to set up and maintain the CCTV cameras that led to an increase in the crime rate and broad daylight robberies, the press release added.
One can never forget the brutal murder of the Margao-based jeweller who was stabbed by thieves audaciously in broad daylight. After the murder of the jeweller, the police had a tough time gathering CCTV evidence across the city as most of the cameras were not functioning, AAP said.
The CCTV camera installation under the leadership of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat as a part of the much-hyped ‘smart city implementation’ in Margao largely remained a political agenda, AAP added.
“There is a scam in the procurement of the CCTV cameras which were installed under smart city project for Panjim, where the same company had installed the same type of cameras in Mumbai and Pune at the cost of Rs 10,000 each, while for Goa the same cameras were installed for Rs 4 lakh each,” said Mhambre.
Panjim BJP leaders were involved in the purchase of the CCTV cameras deal. Similarly, in Margao, Mapusa CCTV cameras are waiting for maintenance, most of the cameras are not working. The camera installed at the Gandhi Circle at Mapusa was hung up to a wire, while the other camera was pointing downwards instead of facing the road. At other places, the cameras are not functioning and failed to capture images, the party said.
“Recently, during the kidnapping case from the GMC, police needed the CCTV footage, as the woman was spotted in Mapusa but they had to get the footage from a nearby hotel as the cameras installed by the municipality were not functioning. MMC Chairperson Shubhangi Vaingankar admitted that the cameras were not functioning,” said Mhambre.
The State Government under the governance of BJP has failed to install CCTV cameras in the state which has led to an increase in the crime rate and robberies, said AAP.
