Significant irregularities have surfaced in Delhi's CCTV project. 32,000 cameras are non-functional, and 15,000 are yet to be installed. The government has initiated a technical audit and investigation into corruption.
Delhi News: The CCTV camera project, launched with the aim of enhancing public safety in Delhi, is now under scrutiny. Under this ambitious scheme, a total of 2.64 lakh CCTV cameras were installed in the capital's 70 assembly constituencies. However, it has now been revealed that more than 32,000 of these cameras are defective, while 15,000 cameras have not been installed at all.
Defective Cameras, Thousands of Devices Missing
According to the audit report, the number of cameras installed in the areas where they were supposed to be is significantly less than the approved number. This means that the reality of the scheme in the areas it was intended to protect falls far short of expectations.
Government Announces Technical Audit
Following the exposure of these irregularities, the current Delhi government has announced that a comprehensive technical audit of the entire CCTV project will be conducted. The aim is not only to identify shortcomings but also to ensure that there is no further technical or administrative negligence.
Project Ensnared in Corruption Allegations
The CCTV project is also facing allegations of corruption. On March 19, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government registered a case against Aam Aadmi Party leader and former MLA Satyendar Jain. He is accused of promoting bribery and corruption in this ₹571 crore project.
₹7 Crore Bribe Taken to Waive ₹16 Crore Fine
According to the ACB, a contractor paid a bribe of ₹7 crore to have a compensation penalty of ₹16 crore waived. This amount was levied due to delays in installing the cameras. An FIR was registered against Satyendar Jain under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, after obtaining the necessary permission.
Additional Order Given to BEL, Questions Raised
Despite the delays in the project, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was given an additional order for 1.4 lakh cameras. The ACB claims that this order was also obtained through bribery. It is alleged that the contractors benefited from this additional work and that they passed on the bribe money to Jain.
Substandard Work, Negligence in Manufacturing
Officials say that the project was completed in a very shoddy manner. Many cameras were defective from the time of handover. Furthermore, the amount of payment was artificially inflated in order to provide additional funds for bribery.
An official from BEL has been questioned, and they have confirmed the allegations and shared details of the entire complaint. A thorough investigation of PWD and BEL documents is now underway to gather further evidence.
