Finally, 14 CCTV cameras put up in Pune to get down to business

The 14 CCTV cameras installed in the city may finally become functional as the issues between the police, the Dagdushet Ganapati mandal and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) finally seem sorted.u00a0

The Congress party has taken the lead in raising funds for the first CCTV network for the police and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has been asked to inaugurate the CCTV control room at Vishrambaug police station.u00a0The 14 CCTV cameras were installed during Ganeshotsav at various spots by the police following an assurance by the Dagdusheth Ganapati Trust and Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal to make available Rs 10,000 each. The funds were promised for the creation of the first CCTV network with a sophisticated control room to monitor the cameras regularly.u00a0

Now the CCTV cameras are getting BSNL connectivity and the only thing remaining is the installation of a 42-inch monitor at the CCTV control room in Vishrambaug police station.u00a0"Now there seems to be no hurdle as actual work of erecting the CCTV control room is to begin at Vishrambaug police station by Thursday evening," Bharat Junnarkar, director, Junnarkar Technology, said.

Senior Police Inspector Arjun Sakunde of the Vishrambaug police station said all the equipment was ready.

"We are waiting for the technicians to start the work. We have only one problem and that is occasional power failures, which we are hoping will not affect the control room functioning," Sakunde said.

Aba Bagul, Leader of Opposition in the civic house, took the initiative to moveu00a0the CCTV programme forward by spending money on behalfu00a0of members of the Congress party.u00a0"Yes, we are pumping in the money as Mayor Rajpal has not kept his promise. Our idea isu00a0to provide Rs 12 lakh tou00a0Rs 14 lakh for the entire networking and control room monitoring system.u00a0

This isu00a0our social responsibility andu00a0we shall do it without fail," he said. "Our idea is that the CM Chavan should officially inaugurate the control room. We have already requested himu00a0and he may be available after the ongoing Winter Sessionu00a0(of state legislature). He has, however, not yet given a confirmation."u00a0Rajpal, who is from the NCP, said his funds were still available for the CCTV plan.u00a0"We are also not shying away from our responsibility. My funds shall be used for the CCTV cameras to be installed by PMC for the police," he said.