Even after a strict direction from Malabar Devaswom Board (MDB) authorities, temples in the Malabar region are lagging behind in the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to ensure the safety of movable assets.
Though six months have passed after the MDB direction to nearly 50 prominent temples, fewer than 10 of them have set up the facility. Also, the system has been put in place in an unprofessional way.
Busy temples
MDB sources said the administrators of 50 of the 1,330 temples governed by the MDB had been asked to install CCTV cameras taking into account the high flow of people to the temples.
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The main objective was to prevent the increasing incidence of temple thefts and pickpocketing during festival times, the sources said.
No professionalism
Even though a few temples had managed to install the facility, they showed no professionalism in the later phase to monitor the recorded files or appoint persons to watch the live feeds during peak festival times.
“We had given them clear direction to appoint a person full time to take care of the surveillance system and use it properly for the protection of temple properties. But, no temple administrators were found doing it properly,” a senior MDB official said.
He also said some of the temple administrators were reluctant to adopt new facilities.
Computerisation
“Computerisation of temple records and use of e-mail services still remain an alien concept for a majority of the temple administrators in Malabar,” he said. Calling for the implementation of the surveillance project, anther MDB official said the temple administrators were given full freedom to spend up to Rs.40,000 on the facility.
Instead of lamenting over increasing thefts, they should adopt modern mechanisms to protect temple assets, he said.
MDB asked 50 temples to install CCTV cameras
Fewer than 10 of them set up
the facility