‘Panel to be set up by L-G on CCTVs is illegal’

New Delhi:  Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday termed as “unconstitutional” Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal’s decision to set up a high-level committee to prepare a common framework for installation, operation and monitoring of CCTV cameras in the national capital.

Mr Sisodia said that the AAP government was currently examining the issue and public works department minister Satyendar Jain would soon write to the L-G over the issue.

Last month, Mr Baijal had held a meeting on the status of CCTV camera installation, a poll promise of the AAP, which prompted Mr Sisodia to dub his action “illegal”. He said that Mr Baijal should follow the Constitution and not be a “dictator”.

“Forming such a committee is wrong and unconstitutional. We are examining the whole issue and Mr Jain will write a letter to the L-G in this connection tomorrow,” Mr Sisodia said, while addressing a press conference here.

Mr Sisodia said the government had in February finalised a concessionaire to install 1.4 lakh CCTVs across the city. The government  had then said work would be completed by October.

“People who were in power in Delhi for 15 years coudln’t install one CCTV anywhere in the city...Had they cared about Delhi people when they were in power, things would have been good,” Mr Sisodia said.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken had on Monday alleged irregularities in the CCTV project of the Delhi government.