E-Paper
Amit Shah launches hi-tech Integrated Command and Control Centre in Chandigarh
Following the centre’s launch, Amit Shah said Chandigarh will become the most disciplined and modern city of the country in the coming time
Union home minister Amit Shah launched the state-of-the-art Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Chandigarh on Sunday.
Set up at a cost of ₹199 crore to comprehensively monitor the city, the centre will oversee management of traffic, and major citizen services, including e-governance, sewerage, waste, electricity and public bike sharing, among others.
The most significant highlight of the centre is real-time surveillance of major junctions and important landmarks, such as water works, parks, government hospitals, community centres, parking locations and schools.
For this, more than 1,000 cameras have been installed around the city, including at all entry and exit points to maintain a record of all vehicles entering and leaving the city.
Through the ICCC, traffic police officials can remotely also issue e-challans in case of traffic violations.
Following the centre’s launch, Shah said Chandigarh will become the most disciplined and modern city of the country in the coming time: “Today, I want to heartily congratulate the Chandigarh administration for its efforts to change with time and this is not limited only to the civic amenities but also security and environment protection.”
“This integrated command centre is going to bring about a drastic change in all areas of civil administration and traffic discipline in Chandigarh in the coming days,” he said.
He asked the administration to arrange ICCC visits for all schoolchildren up to Class 12 so that discipline can be inculcated in city’s future citizens.
“A lot of initiatives have also been taken to establish Chandigarh as a model solar city and perhaps India’s largest bike sharing system is in Chandigarh itself. This has ensured huge success in keeping the environment of Chandigarh clean,” said Shah.
“The work of 100% digitisation of revenue records has also been completed and Chandigarh perhaps will be the first city in the country to achieve this,” he added.
At the national level, Shah said the whole world was astonished that in a country with a population of 130 crore, everyone got the vaccine easily without any fuss. “By using technology, Modi government has provided 5 kg food grains for free to every poor person in the country for two years without any lapse,” Shah said.
Traffic police start issuing e-challans
With the launch of the ICCC, traffic police started issuing e-challans on Sunday through real-time traffic monitoring at 285 locations in the city.
Chief general manager of Chandigarh Smart City Limited, NP Sharma said, “With the use of cameras set up across the city, e-challans will be issued for violations like jumping the red light, not wearing helmets, speeding, driving on the wrong side and stopping on the Zebra crossing at intersections, among other violations. So, the public must adhere to the traffic rules.”
Senior superintendent of police (SSP, Traffic) Manisha Choudhary said some police officials had been deployed at the ICCC to monitor issuance of e-challans.
While the number of challans issued on Sunday was not available, it is expected to rise as the system gets fine-tuned and more police officials are posted at the ICCC.
Non-payment of find to cost heavy
The e-challans will be issued through the Vaahan app and a text message will be sent to the vehicle owner. In case of non-payment of fine, the violator will not be able to make use of Vaahan services, like update of vehicle’s registration and fitness certificates, and won’t even be able to sell the vehicle or transfer ownership.
According to Smart City officials, the ICCC system will also have adaptive traffic control systems to manage timing of traffic lights as per vehicle flow.
UT director general of police (DGP) Praveer Ranjan had earlier said with the ICCC, the on-field traffic police personnel will be better utilised to regulate traffic rather than be on challaning duty. This will also bring more transparency in the challaning process. (With inputs by Rajanbir Singh)
