Is the Maha Govt Preparing an SOP for Uniformity in CCTV Projects?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Maharashtra government is committed to enhancing public safety.
- A standardized SOP for CCTV projects will be developed.
- The initiative aims to improve crime detection across urban areas.
- Collaboration between police and disaster management is essential.
- Farmers' crop insurance complaints will be reviewed for better assistance.
Mumbai, July 15 (NationPress) The state government is committed to ensuring law and order, leveraging modern technology with the installation of CCTV systems aimed at enhancing crime detection. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be developed by the Home Department to establish consistency across CCTV projects within the state during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly.
Assembly Member Ravi Sheth Patil raised inquiries concerning the maintenance of CCTV cameras located in urban areas of Raigad and Ratnagiri districts. In response, several assembly members, including Prashant Bamb, Bhaskar Jadhav, Prashant Thakur, Mahesh Shinde, and Sreejaya Chavan, contributed with follow-up questions.
The Chief Minister elaborated that in various cities and locations, CCTV installations are carried out by the police department, district planning committees, and through CSR funding, depending on the necessity.
“The forthcoming SOP will address aspects such as maintenance, repair, monitoring of these cameras, warranty periods, delineating clear responsibilities for upkeep and repair, resolving issues related to fiber connectivity, and ensuring collaboration between the police and disaster management systems,” he stated.
In a related response, Minister of State for Home Affairs (Rural) Pankaj Bhoyar confirmed that the Ratnagiri Superintendent of Police's office is actively monitoring the situation concerning non-functional CCTV cameras. A meeting with representatives from the relevant company has already taken place.
He assured that directives have been issued via the police department to reactivate the non-operational CCTV cameras and announced a forthcoming meeting to address the reactivation of agricultural CCTV cameras in Raigad.
On another note, Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jaiswal stated that directives will be communicated to district collectors to evaluate farmers' complaints regarding crop insurance and make decisions to ensure their eligibility for insurance assistance.
Responding to a calling attention motion raised by member Rahul Aher regarding crop insurance for farmers in Chandwad and Deola talukas of Nashik district, Minister Jaiswal confirmed that verification for compensation will be conducted for all farmers in Chandwad taluka who have participated in the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme and have been notified of losses based on the Panchnama conducted post-natural calamities.
A meeting with the insurance company is planned to scrutinize farmers' compensation claims in accordance with regulations. Notably, substantial damage to the onion crop during the Rabi season in Nashik district necessitates surveying farmers who participated in the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme for post-harvest damage, with subsequent actions to follow as per the guidelines.