CCTV camera project for Ahmedabad put on fast track

The day may not be far when you would be caught on camera violating traffic rules in Ahmedabad. To put the project on fast track, city police commissioner Sudhir Sinha formed a four-member committee on Monday to identify sensitive areas where the cameras need to be put on priority, invite bids from public and private players for the technical aspect, and ensure the project is executed at the earliest possible.

The committee will be headed by JCP Sector-II Atul Karwal. JCP special branch Shamsher Singh, DCP Zone-6 Manindersingh Puvar and DCP Zone-4 Amit Vishwakarma are part of the committee. The project, though in its initial stages, is expected to be on the floor in a few months.

“The panel will look into various aspects like where the cameras should be placed. While we are keen on having BSNL on board, we are also exploring other possibilities for the project,” Sinha said.

The cameras will be placed at 100 different locations across the city. The rising terror threat and incidence of traffic offence is what has prompted the city police to install CCTV cameras.

Earlier, BSNL was to provide the technical help for the project but the constant delay on its part forced the city police to explore private players as well. So far, apart from BSNL, Airtel, Tata Teleservices and Cisco have evinced interest in the project.

"It is an elaborate project and may be implemented in phases. The cameras will be installed on main crossroads and important junctions. After installing, we will regularly check them and replace the defectives ones. We have asked for quotations from the companies, and once they come to us, we will immediately finalise which company will be given the contract," Karwal said.