MARGAO
Madgavkars and Saxttikars, beware! The Big Brother, who was sleeping over the last two years for want of maintenance, is bracing up to maintain a watch on traffic violators and anti-socials roaming on the streets of the commercial capital.
Post-Swapnil Walke murder case, the administration had gone into top gear to get the CCTV surveillance cameras repaired or replaced after realization dawned on the district, police and municipal administrations that all the 37 cameras installed in the city have turned defunct.
After rounds of discussions, the Margao Municipal Council had agreed to take up the responsibility for the maintenance of the CCTV surveillance cameras, while the traffic police would monitor these from the district police headquarters, Margao.
Accordingly, the agency roped in by the Margao civic body has started replacing the defunct cameras. A total of six cameras around the Margao Municipal Council building have already been replaced by the agency.
Sources in the know informed that the contractor is expected to call on the MMC Chief Officer for discussions on the maintenance aspects before the cameras start functioning.
The CO is expected to hold discussions with the district police administration to ensure that the monitoring system with adequate police manpower is put in place for round-the-clock surveillance of the commercial capital.
The commercial capital was brought under the CCTV surveillance cameras in 2014 after then South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha sanctioned the project under his MPLAD scheme. The scheme later hit a roadblock over the question of maintenance after the two year maintenance period of the contractor ended.
It was only after the Walke murder over a month ago, the Margao police were found struggling to lay their hands on CCTV footage from nearby business establishments. The need for CCTVs forced the district, police and the MMC administration to revive the defunct cameras.
