Surveillance system plagued by lack of finances

A CC Camera is Installed at Sankar Vilas Centre in Guntur.

Lack of finances is coming in the way of Guntur Urban Police keen on installing a surveillance system in the town.

Though liberal donation from a leading industrial group, Bommidala Group of Companies, has made it possible for procuring high end and night vision CC TV cameras, the police are finding it difficult to get financial assistance for installing the equipment and upgrading the existing Control Room.

The Urban Police have already asked the Guntur Municipal Corporation to handle the Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) from its general funds.

``We are keen on starting the surveillance system in 15 days of time after completing the installation,’’ Superintendent of Police, Guntur Urban, Ake Ravikrishna said here on Tuesday.

The cops are keen on grounding the surveillance system as early as possible in the wake of recent incidences. On Monday, bomb hoax in the heart of the town had the Urban Police scurrying and the residents in a tizzy.

Though everyone heaved a sigh of relief after the incident, the incident did raise a few disturbing questions over the surveillance system in place in the town.

The efforts of the previous SPs to have a surveillance system to beef up public security and traffic management have not yielded the desired results as the equipment was either outdated or had no maintenance. Mahesh Chandra Laddha took a keen interest and launched an e-surveillance system in the year 2008 with 12 CC TV cameras but after his tenure, the project could not take off due to lack of interest in police bosses.

After a gap of nearly five years, the Guntur Urban Police has again launched a concerted effort to put in place an effective surveillance system with the help of local industrialists.

The police would procure 12 high resolution and night vision CC cameras with financial assistance from Bommidala Group of Companies.

``The surveillance system will help the police to track the movements of suspicious people and also help the police in better traffic management,’’ Mr. Ravikrishna said.