A three-year wait for CCTV cameras across the Capital, as promised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, may have finally ended with a public sector undertaking BEL winning a bid to instal 1.4 lakh cameras on Thursday. The PSU’s bid was reportd to be Rs 272 crore.
The CCTV project was AAP’s poll plank in the run up to the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections. The cameras were first planned to be installed either through MLA funds or grants for schools and public transport. However, finally a tender for the project was floated.
Delhi government floated the tender last November. The project envisages that 2,000 cameras be installed in each of the 70 Assembly constituencies in the Capital. It was estimated that the project would cost Rs 250 crore.
The cameras will be installed in residential and commercial areas and work on the project is expected to be complete within five months. Sources said the locations for installation of CCTV cameras would be decided in consultation with MLAs, RWAs and market associations. The Public Works Department (PWD) would be the nodal agency for the project.
Sources said that soon after the tender process was completed, “the PWD Minister directed the successful bidder to start the work without delay.” AAP government has time and again been cornered by opposition parties for not installing CCTV cameras in the city, as promised by it in run up the last Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, sources said in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections, the AAP is keen to complete all its mega projects by the end of 2018. “Other than CCTV cameras,other projects AAP plans to complete this year, include free Wifi, setting a network of of sewer lines across the city and redesigning 500 km PWD roads,” sources said.