MARGAO
When the government and the authorities bat for CCTV cameras and other gadgets to check traffic violations and overspeeding, the Margao Municipal Council is looking out for sponsorships to fund the revival of the defunct Closed Circuit TV Surveillance cameras in the commercial capital.
That’s not all. The Margao Traffic Cell too had sent SOS both to the Margao civic body as well as the police higher-ups to arrange for the CCTV surveillance cameras, but in vain.
Against the backdrop of Thursday’s road tragedy and clamour for strict enforcement of traffic rules, the government may have to answer a simple query “ is it proper for a Municipal body to literally go begging for sponsors to fund the revival of the CCTV cameras when the government ought to have gone out of the way to make available the surveillance cameras to rein in on traffic violators and also keep a tab on anti-social elements?
Indeed, this question will come to haunt the government, more so the Transport and the Urban Development departments for the simple reason that the commercial capital is presently not under the radar of the Big Brother for want of the surveillance cameras.
Months and years have passed by since the CCTV surveillance cameras funded under the MPLAD scheme of South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha around 2014 at the fag end of his stint as Member of Parliament.
Consider this. In the wake of the cold blooded murder of young city jeweller, Swapnil Walke two years ago, the authorities, including the Margao Municipality, district and police authorities and the powers that be woke up to the sad reality that the city was no more under the CCTV cameras surveillance.
Post-Walke murder, the authorities had revived around 23 CCTV cameras in 2020, but sadly, all the cameras are now down and out for want of upkeep and maintenance and MMC’s delay in clearing the payments of the contractor.
After his appointment as the administrative head, Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Rohit Kadam, made a fresh bid to revive the CCTV cameras, but the contractor has filed a report saying the cameras are down and the only solution lies with their replacement.
Given that the replacement of the cameras may take months if not years if the CCTV project is proposed under the MPLAD scheme, the Chief Officer tried to rope in some private companies to fund the bare minimum CCTV cameras under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, the initiative has come a cropper with no company evincing interest in reviving the project.
Questions are being raised why the civic body had to go with a bowl to private companies when it is their responsibility to install CCTV cameras, not to just keep traffic violators at bay, but from the security point of view.
Incidentally, traffic authorities pointed out that the Margao Traffic Cell has been literally after the MMC to revive the surveillance cameras, but in vain. “Our monitoring room, computers are all lying idle in the Margao district headquarters for want of the cameras. Apart from knocking the doors of the MMC, the Traffic Cell had sent reminders to the police higher-ups for early restoration of the CCTV cameras, but in vain,” informed a senior official.
Drunk driving: Is Margao Traffic Cell equipped with speed governors and alcometers?
MARGAO: Is the Margao Traffic Cell equipped with an adequate number of speed governors and alcometers to keep drunken driving at bay?
Well, the Margao traffic cell does have a couple of alcometers, but sources said it would be better if the department equip the Cell with an adequate number of the devices for effective implementation of drives against drunk driving.
Similarly, the Traffic Cell has three speed governors, out of which one which was being handled by the Canacona unit is out of order.
Interestingly, while the Cell is using a speed governor to book cases of overspeeding along the NH66 at Dandeavaddo and other places, the department is still using the ageing interceptor vehicle to transport the speed governors.
“We are indeed in need of additional alcometers as well as a speed governor for effective enforcement of the Motor Vehicle rules,” remarked a Traffic Officer.
