Defunct CCTV Surveillance A Glaring Waste Of Exchequer

It is unfortunate that the CCTV surveillance at major crossings in Jammu installed with much fanfare and a hope that the same will usher in a new era of accountability and road discipline has turned out to be a damp squib. Today, one can notice vehicles ignoring the traffic signals and jumping these lights with impunity as if the CCTV cameras have been installed simply as urban décor, with no use at all. Hardly there is a resident of Jammu or its visitor who has not seen people jumping the traffic signals and using cell phones while on wheels. If these CCTV cameras were in use and the data captured was not ignored, the region would have become richer by crores and crores of rupees received in the shape of Challans and fines but nothing of this sort seems to have taken place raising a big question mark on the utility of this huge edifice brought in by spending public funds in abundance. This is simply a stark example of administrative apathy and the wasteful expenditure of public exchequer with no one held accountable for this needless extravagance. The people in the Temple City were hopeful that the installation of these Cameras and their central control would help in managing the traffic stupendously but instead of deterring the bad behaviour of commuters on roads, this entire system has failed both the public and the very purpose for which it was installed. One can visit Jewel Chowk, Last Morh Gandhi Nagar, Panama Chowk, or any other crossing in the city to see free for all situation especially for the commercial vehicles including the public transport as they give two hoots to the traffic rules whether they are at the crossings or any other place, setting a very bad example. It is a big question whether the CCTV cameras installed at the crossings of Temple City are defunct, or the footage they record is gathering digital dust as it seems that the things have been allowed to go unnoticed and unmonitored. In the region, where the authorities have been struggling to stop road mishaps and shedding of blood on roads, such lethargy on the part of the concerned quarters amounts to criminal negligence. What’s even more disturbing is the lack of transparency. Why are the challans issued using these cameras not being made public? The concerned authorities for the sake of transparency should bring to fore that how many CCTV cameras are operational, and monthly record of number of traffic challans issued after scrutinizing evidence based on CCTV surveillance because the present status of CCTV coverage seems to be nothing more than a ‘showpiece’.