NDMC Stopped CCTV Installation After L-G Formed Panel: Kejriwal

New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) which was working on installation of CCTV cameras for the last two years has stopped the task following setting up of a new panel by the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed today.

The NDMC, however said that it has not stopped the work and is evaluating rates for additional 1,000 CCTV cameras with respect to rates received by Public Works Department (PWD) to save money and avoid duplication.

L-G Anil Baijal has formed a committee to come up with a standard operating procedure for the installation, operation and monitoring of closed-circuit television cameras in the national capital.

"NDMC was installing CCTV cameras in residential colonies for last 2 yrs. In view of LG's committee, NDMC has also stopped further installation of cameras. Extremely unfortunate. Whatever gud work was gng on, all stopped. Dirty politics wid women safety (sic)," Kejriwal, who is also a member of NDMC, tweeted.

Reacting to the chief minister's claims, an NDMC spokesperson said, "The PWD invited bid for 1.4 lakh CCTVs, including for NDMC area. The standard operating procedures formulated by the Home Department of the Delhi government will be applicable in NDMC to ensure privacy and security in overall public interest."

"PWD received bids for 1.4 lakh CCTVs including 2,000 CCTVs cameras for New Delhi area. NDMC is evaluating rates for additional 1,000 CCTV cameras with respect to rates received by PWD to save public money and avoiding duplication," the spokesperson said.

After Baijal formed the panel, the Delhi Chief Minister had alleged that the only aim of setting up the committee was to interrupt government work and not let the CCTV cameras be installed.

The fight between the AAP government and the L-G, over installing CCTV cameras in Delhi intensified today as Kejriwal along with his cabinet ministers and MLAs sat on a 'dharna' near the L-G office urging him "not to stall" the project under "pressure from the BJP".

Yesterday, Baijal wrote to Kejriwal, saying it was "unfortunate" that the public and media were being "misled" on the issue "repeatedly and deliberately".

Hours after Baijal's letter, Kejriwal wrote back to the L-G, seeking to know why he was "politicising" the issue of women safety.

The chief minister alleged that Baijal had set up the committee "arbitrarily", bypassing the elected government and sought to know why he was "violating" the Constitution.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)