Maharashtra paid 80 times more than Delhi for CCTV cameras, says AAP

The AAP government in Delhi ordered 1.40 lakh CCTV cameras at Rs271 crore, while the Maharashtra procured 6,000 cameras for Rs949 crore, the party said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Maharashtra government of allegedly procuring closed circuit camera television (CCTV) surveillance system at an exorbitant rate for Mumbai.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Maharashtra government of allegedly procuring CCTV system at an exorbitant rate for Mumbai. (HT File(Representational Image))

The AAP government in Delhi ordered 1.40 lakh CCTV cameras at Rs271 crore, while the Maharashtra procured 6,000 cameras for Rs949 crore, the party said. This means that Delhi will pay around Rs19,000 per camera against Maharashtra’s Rs15.8 lakh, or 80 times more than the former.

Addressing the media, AAP leader Brigadier (retd) Sudhir Sawant said it was such a huge gap in procurements between the two Government’s. “How can there be such a huge gap between the costs? This entire deal seems suspicious,” said Sawant.

“In addition, we see most of the CCTV cameras are non-functional, thus compromising with the security,” he added. The AAP has demanded a judicial probe.

In the aftermath of the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks, the Ram Pradhan committee recommended installation of CCTV cameras in Mumbai. The cameras were to be installed at more than 1,000 locations. In February 2015, the state government signed a Rs949-crore deal with L&T for 6,000 cameras. According to a senior bureaucrat from the home department, the entire process was followed diligently. “It was a prolonged, competitive tendering process, and we followed all norms,” said the bureaucrat.