Chennai: Tamil Nadu government today told the Madras High Court that all police stations in the state would be provided with CCTV systems in a phased manner over a period of five years at a total cost of about Rs 31 crore.
This was stated in a report filed by the Inspector General of Police (Administration) on a PIL seeking a direction for installation of CCTV systems in all police stations to check alleged atrocities and human rights violations by subordinate police officials.
Closing the matter, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, recorded the substance of the report filed by the IG that CCTVs would be installed in police stations in a phased manner over a period of five years at an estimated cost of Rs.6.3 crores per year.
In the previous hearing, the government had stated CCTV was installed in 252 of the 1,567 police stations in the state.
Earlier, the bench referring to a submission by the state government that the grant by the central government for police modernisation scheme had been been reduced, expressed its surprise.
“We have even surprise to note the stand that Government of India has reduced the grant under Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) Scheme. This is a matter which thus needs to be examined by Union of India,” it said.
Appreciating the comprehensive report filed by the IG in response to the queries raised by the court earlier, the bench noted that a proposal had been sent by the state government to the Centre with regard to grant of funds for the modernisation.
It asked Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan to look into the matter.
“We need not emphasise the importance of dire need of modernisation of the police force, both the manner in which they equip as also the use of technology for detection of crime and to maintain law and order,” it said.
