BJP led Govt seeks to exorcise CCTV fiasco of 2009-2010, 2010-2011 : Procurement process of CCTVs to be probed
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, March 31 2017: The State Government has decided to inquire the process of procurement and commissioning of CCTV cameras to be installed at the Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister's bungalow and bazar areas as the same have not been functional since their installation in 2009-10 and 2010-2011 .

Under the Plan of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, the State Home Department sanctioned a sum of Rs 8,01,54,775 for the CCTV cameras, but due to irregularities in the procurement and installation of the same, they have been remaining defunct since then.

An inquiry committee consisting of Pramod Ashthana, Additional DGP as Chairman and Sumant Singh (IAS), Secretary of RD and PR and Clay Khongsai, IGP as members have been named to conduct the inquiry.

The inquiry committee will probe the process of procurement and installation and commissioning of the CCTV cameras to ascertain the facts and find the officers responsible for the lapses, if any, said an order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary Dr Suresh Babu today.

The inquiry report is to be submitted to the State Government within a period of 15 days from today, said the order.

The Sangai Express reproduces the report on the CCTVs which was published back in 2014 : Most of the CCTV cameras installed in and around Imphal city with the objective of making security agencies more effective in tackling crimes in the capital city have been found to be non-functional since the very beginning.

As if it is not enough, Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) clause was found missing in the contract signed with the firm which supplied and installed the CCTV cameras, said the report.

Back in 2014, an independent investigation conducted by The Sangai Express revealed that the State Government, after already spending around Rs 8 crore in procuring and installing the CCTV cameras, had initiated due procedures to sanction additional amount to Police Department so as to repair the CCTV cameras and make them functional.

It was in 2011 that Manipur Police Department ordered 100 CCTV cameras and other necessary components from Bangalore based Meltronics Systemtech Pvt Ltd.

Accordingly the firm supplied and installed the CCTV cameras.

The contract signed between Manipur Police Department and the Bangalore based firm has a provision of making a control room (of the CCTV cameras) at the office of Imphal West SP operational.

However, a clause on Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) clause was conspicuously missing in the contract.

As the maintenance clause was missing, the firm did not repair when any of the CCTV cameras broke down.

With the cameras not functional, many of their components were stolen.

There is no record or document in Police Department regarding handing over of the project after the CCTV cameras were installed by the Bangalore based firm.

The firm installed 50 CCTV cameras at Raj Bhavan, 27 in Chief Minister's bungalow and the remaining cameras at different parts of Imphal city.

Of the CCTV cameras installed at Raj Bhavan, 11 are nonfunctional while three in CM's bungalow are out of order and most of the cameras installed at different parts of the city are defunct.

The CCTV cameras have the facility to transmit images and video footage to the control boxes directly.

But many of the control boxes have been converted into dust-bins as the cameras are not working.

On being enquired as why the costly CCTV cameras are not working, Police Department blamed the erratic power supply.

Meanwhile, Home Department has sent a written instruction to Police Headquarters to take up necessary measures in order to make the CCTV cameras functional in addition to conducting an enquiry.

Acting on the Home Department's instruction, Police Headquarters constituted a committee.

However, it could not be confirmed whether the Police Headquarters conducted any feasibility survey before the CCTV cameras were also installed.

Nonetheless, the committee headed by the DIG (Range-I) as chairman and comprising of Imphal West SP, City Police OC and Imphal Police OC have started assessing the cameras together with engineers of Meltronic Systemtech.

The committee may recommend fitting the CCTV cameras with solar panels for power back-up in addition to installing such cameras at more strategic places, informed a source.

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