Govt plans to change rules to make CCTVs mandatory in pvt buildings

State home minister Anil Deshmukh informed the legislative Assembly on Tuesday that the government was planning to make changes to the building proposal rules to

State home minister Anil Deshmukh informed the legislative Assembly on Tuesday that the government was planning to make changes to the building proposal rules to make installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras mandatory in all private buildings in Mumbai. He said it will help the government augment the network of CCTVs and control the crime rate.

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The state government has already installed 5,000 CCTV cameras in the city and plans to add 5,600 more cameras to the network in the next few months. “The government is looking to make changes to the building proposal rules to make installation of cameras within the premises of the existing and new buildings in the city. The cameras will be linked with the surveillance network of the police and help in reducing the crime rate, especially crimes against women,” he said.

Deshmukh was replying to a debate motion moved by Opposition members on inadequate relief to farmers and rise in atrocities against women. He reiterated a special law for stringent punishment to the accused in cases of crime against women will be brought in on the lines of the Disha Act passed by the Andhra Pradesh government in the ongoing budget session.

The draft of the bill is being finalised in consultation with various stakeholders, including women legislators and NGOs working in the field. The home department has convened a meeting of all women legislators on Tuesday to discuss the proposed law.

14,029 FIRs against drug peddlers

In 2019, a total of 14,029 FIRs were registered against drug peddlers in Maharashtra, and 14,805 people were arrested. The state also confiscated 13,522kg of drugs worth ₹281 crore in this period, home minister Anil Deshmukh told the legislative Council. The state will examine if it is possible to fast-track the cases.