Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and all AAP MLAs decided to march from his residence to the Lieutenant-Governor House, to discuss the acrimony over the issue of setting up CCTV cameras in the city.
The decision to hold the march came after a weeklong battle of letters and words between the Delhi government and the L-G office over the issue of setting up 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across the capital.
The disagreement was kicked off by Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal’s decision to set up a committee to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure and regulatory framework to set up CCTV cameras in Delhi. The L-G took this decision in response to the Delhi government’s proposal to set up 1.4 lakh cameras in the city.
While supporting his decision to set up the committee, Baijal said in a letter to the chief minister: “Uncontrolled and unregulated mushrooming of CCTV cameras does not lead to any effective outcome for security and law enforcement and it may encroach upon the privacy of individuals. So, to use these cameras effectively for law enforcement, prevention of crime and investigation, an SOP/regulatory framework for CCTV cameras is imperative.”
The L-G also stated: “No proposal relating to the award of work for installation of CCTV cameras has been received in the office of the L-G. It has been learnt that a Cabinet Note on the issue of the award of work for installation of CCTV cameras by PWD is yet to be circulated. So, the matter is pending with the elected government only. No directions have been issued by this office to stall or stop the award of work for CCTV tender.”
But Kejriwal is in no mood to listen. He shot back a letter in response, accusing the L-G of attempting to create hurdles in the work of installing CCTV cameras. He also rejected the committee.
“We reject your committee as it has been set up to create hurdles and it has been set up without any legal basis and without jurisdiction. The committee is illegal and unconstitutional,” the letter written on Saturday said.
The chief minister further said: “You have said that this committee will draft regulatory framework, rules and procedures for installation of cameras. Which law gives powers to L-G to set up such a committee to frame regulatory framework and make laws and rules for installing CCTV cameras? Sir, there is a Constitution and there are laws and L-G is bound by those laws and the Constitution. Why are you violating the Constitution?”
Recently, the Delhi government had allotted work of Rs 350 crore to a central government-owned Public Sector Unit, BEL to set up 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras on the streets and bye-lanes of the city.
“We were ready to set up CCTV cameras as advised by the women residing in various localities of the city. But the L-G office decided to create hurdles in the project at that moment,” said Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.
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