27.11.09

Increased vigil

Mumbai may soon get a network of CCTV cameras, owned and controlled by the government but funded by the corporate sector, on the lines of London. The move was announced during a memorial service for 26/11 victims organised by the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC). IMC will soon present Mumbai Police a blueprint of the project; 5,000 CCTVs will be installed at strategic locations to increase vigil against terrorism and routine crime. Chief minister Ashok Chavan, who unveiled the foundation stone for IMC’s memorial at Churchgate, said the project would go a long way in helping Mumbai tackle terror. “The government will ensure that this plan is immediately cleared by the bureaucracy. With this, let’s take a pledge that we will not only fight terror but even win the war against it,’’ Chavan told a select gathering of international dignitaries and corporate honchos. The IMC has based the project on London’s CCTV network. London has 10,000 crime-fighting CCTV cameras, which were set up at the cost of £200 million. “Working on the same lines, we will instal cameras at major traffic signals, public places and places of worship. This is part of our corporate social responsibility programme. We will even organise training programmes and prepare the model with the help of defence experts from Israel,’’ IMC president Gul Kripalani said.

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