CHENNAI: Proposing video recording of every police complaint "for transparency", TVK minister and Villivakkam MLA Aadhav Arjuna on Wednesday said CCTV cameras inside police stations must function round the clock, particularly when women approach stations with complaints. He also proposed street-level CCTV surveillance across the city.
Speaking after a constituency-level review meeting with officials from police, revenue, Tasmac, sanitation, electricity and public works departments, Aadhav Arjuna said the government is ready to support police stations with a dedicated IT wing for handling recordings and complaint documentation. "Whenever a complaint is given in a police station, the process itself should be video recorded. It will protect both the public and officials tomorrow," he said.
Women's safety, illegal liquor sales and ganja-related complaints dominated the major part of the meeting, with the minister claiming residents had repeatedly flagged "drug culture" and Tasmac-linked nuisance during the election campaign.
"Women are unable to walk freely in many streets," he alleged, adding that police had been given a free hand to crack down on ganja sales, illegal bars and unauthorised liquor trade.
Claiming that lists identifying illegal liquor sale points, including in Ayanavaram, had already been handed over to the police, he called for the immediate closure of such bars.
Requests had also been made to close six of the 11 Tasmac outlets in the constituency, mainly those near schools, colleges, temples and hostels.
Regarding civic issues, officials were asked to complete drainage works ahead of the monsoon and submit reports on areas lacking water pipelines.
Aadhav Arjuna further said land would be identified in the constituency for the construction of Higher Secondary schools, an arts college, an engineering college and a medical college.
Pitching the exercise as a new administrative model, he said Villivakkam was the first constituency where such a review meeting had been conducted following directions from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and that similar meetings would be held across the State.
He also proposed a dashboard system to monitor pending files and project delays across departments. "Earlier, there used to be 40-50% commissions. Now the Chief Minister has openly said there will be zero commission," he highlighted.