Railways, State govt brief HC on setting up CCTV cameras

While the Southern Railway has submitted that as much Rs.67.94 Crore under Nirbhaya Fund will be utilised for installing CCTV cameras at various stations, the State government has identified 72,629 important places such as intersections at roads and other public places including public buildings for installation of CCTV cameras throughout the State. 

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan on perusing the counters by both the Railways and the State, directed the Amicus Curiae already appointed in the case to scrutinise the replies and suggest to the court about its implementation. 

The Southern Railway had submitted that electronic surveillance with well-equipped control rooms were already available at seven Railway Stations which included Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Chennai Beach, Mambalam, Tambaram, Basin Bridge and Thiruvallur. 

Also, sub-urban terminal at Moore Market Complex, Arakkonam and Katpadi Junctions have been provided with CCTV cameras. Besides this, CCTV controls rooms have been installed in other divisions in Tamil Nadu like Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Erode, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli and Dindigul. 

It also submitted that out of the 158 railway stations at Chennai Division, 10 of them have already been provided with video surveillance system and presently 82 others stations have been earmarked for providing a similar facility under the Nirbhaya fund provided by the Centre. Along with this, it has been proposed to establish 47 additional CCTV control rooms at various stations in Tamil Nadu and provide CCTV surveillance system in 101 stations, it added. 

The State government in its Counter, said installation of CCTV cameras have been made mandatory as a condition for issuing license under relevant provisions of Corporation/ Municipal Acts and Rules and the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Installation of CCTV units in Public Buildings) Rules 2012.

Apart from this, out of the 72, 629 places such as intersections in roads and other Public places including public buildings, installation has been completed in 50,565 locations. Along with this, a sanction of Rs.12.21 crore has been made for setting up modern control room with common, control communication and intelligence operation centre under modernisation 

scheme by the Home Department. 

It also noted that a proposal for installation of 1,700 CCTV cameras in Chennai for surveillance and 135 mobile surveillance cameras in vehicles at a cost of Rs 5.97 crore under ega City Project with Union Government’s 60 per cent sharing will be commenced on release of funds by the Centre. 

The first bench had taken suo motu cognizance of the issue based on a letter addressed by Justice N Kirubakaran to the Chief Justice referring to the murder of the Software Engineer Swathi in the Nungambakkam railway station raising 15 questions to the State government as well as the Railway department. The case has been posted for further hearing to December 7.