With the Congress starting preparations for holding caste and minority conventions across the State and padayatras in the run up to the next Legislative Assembly elections, there is a steady flow of leaders, old and new, and workers to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office on Queens Road here.
With a view to going hi-tech, the party has fixed 30 CCTV cameras at vantage positions in the KPCC office and outside which beam the pictures to a big screen in the chamber of KPCC president G. Parameshwara. Some party leaders, who have taken the surveillance with a pinch of salt, said it is to keep workers at bay when the party takes important decisions pertaining to the issuing of ticket.
However, Dr. Parameshwara said that this had been done as part of security and transparency, about which the security agencies had also advised the State unit. The conference hall, chambers of important office-bearers and rooms where meetings are held as well as the verandah have been fitted with cameras on January 1.
In the 2008 elections, some groups, who were denied ticket by the high command, created ugly scenes both inside and outside the party office by holding dharnas.
The intention of installing cameras, it is said, is to inform the high command of such incidents, so that it could take disciplinary action and bring about order in the organisation.
According to sources in the unit, the visit of strangers to the office would show up on cameras as well as keeping a watch on the workers and staff, who may indulge in chit chat on the premises.
Uniforms
The staff members have for the first time been given uniforms. A card punching system has also been introduced.
