Puri CCTV project hangs fire

BHUBANESWAR: Nabakalebara (formation of new idols of deities) in Puri is barely four months away.
But the ambitious CCTV surveillance system, mooted in 2013, is yet to take off as the state government has failed to select an agency to install cameras.
Though the Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (OPHWC) floated a tender for selection of a company in August 2014, not a single bidder could be selected.
"The tender was cancelled as the bidders failed to fulfil the guidelines. We floated a second tender on February 3. We are hopeful of bidders meeting the criteria," an OPHWC officer told TOI.
In 2013, the home department announced to bring Puri and its suburbs under CCTV surveillance in view of the grand religious festival. The state government sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the project.
According to plan, more than 150 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed in and around Puri.
"CCTV cameras would be installed at strategic locations along Bhubaneswar-Puri NH. The Puri-Konark route would also be covered under the project," the officer said.
Official sources said 31 cameras would be installed inside Jagannath Temple. Sixteen surveillance cameras are there on the shrine campus. But some of them are having poor resolution.
The project assumes significance as two Indian Mujahideen operatives visited Puri in January last year while Intelligence Bureau recently warned state about a possible terror attack.
"We doubt whether the government would be able to install CCTV cameras in time. It might take time to conduct survey, choose the best quality gadgets and set up a control room. Police officers also need to be trained to operate the technology," said Priyadarshan Pattnaik, convener of Sachetan Nagarika Mancha, a socio-cultural organization.
DGP Sanjeev Marik is scheduled to visit Puri on Thursday to take stock of security arrangements and CCTV project.
More than 10,000 police personnel will be deployed during Nabakalebara. The number is almost double the manpower usually mobilized for annual Rath Yatra, said SP (Puri) Ashish Singh.