w The government wants to fast-track the project so that all the cameras are in place much before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections (Representational Image)

New Delhi: In an attempt to curb the rising number of crime, the AAP government’s Expenditure and Finance Committee has finally approved a Rs 800 crore project for installation of CCTV cameras across the national capital.

Under the project, the government is planning to install as many as 1.4 lakh cameras in 70 Assembly constituencies across Delhi.

While the government is yet to finalise the spots where the CCTV cameras will be installed, sources said the MLAs will be roped in to get feedback from their respective Resi-dent Welfare Associations (RWA) to identify places for setting up of these cameras.

The state government’s public works department (PWD) will be the implanting agency for this mega project.

A senior officer said that the government intends to install the maximum number of cameras in residential areas and busy market places to check the rising crime. The space for setting up stations to monitor the CCTV footage will reportedly be provided by the RWAs.

Installation of CCTVs across the city was one of the key promises that the AAP had made before the 2015 Assembly polls. CM Arvind Kejriwal had himself been very keen to get this project implemented on a priority basis.

A senior AAP functionary said the government wants to fast-track the project so that all the cameras are in place much before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which will be followed a year later by the Assembly polls.

Lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Thursday chaired a law and order meeting to take stock of the status of the current CCTV cameras in Delhi.

He reportedly directed officers to form an inter-agency group to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) for uniformity in installation of the cameras.

The meeting was attended by chief secretary Anshu Prakash, police commissioner Amulya Patnaik and senior officers. But the L-G’s move did not go down well with the Kejriwal government.

The Delhi police made a detailed presentation before the L-G and informed him about the places which have been identified for installation of the CCTV cameras, especially in view of directions of the Delhi high court.

At present, 4,067 CCTVs have been installed at 87 different sites by the Delhi police, while proposal for installation of 1,380 cameras is under active consideration of the Union home ministry.

The L-G was informed that master control stations are installed at concerned police stations to monitor the CCTV system. Also, more than 2 lakh cameras have been installed with public participation in Delhi (RWAs, market associations, etc.) in addition to about 11,000 cameras that have been installed by other agencies like DMRC, NDMC, railways, and DIAL at different locations.

The officers also informed that at 29 sites, automatic number plate recognition cameras have been put in place, which send automatic alerts to the control room.