Team Herald
PONDA: Ponda locals suggested the Ponda Municipal Council install CCTVs on the National Highway to check chain-snatching incidents and other crimes which are becoming common in the taluka.
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Social activist Viraj Sapre suggested that PMC should take the help of any company in the Industrial Estates if it is not financially viable for the council.
“Incidents of chain snatching and house burglaries are on the rise. Besides ATM thefts have been reported in Ponda,” said Sapre.
He said that post-crime, CCTV plays an important role to trace criminals.
“Before insisting on issuing fines for not wearing a helmet, police should check the number plates of vehicles as nowadays the bike riders are riding bikes with fake number plates,” Sapre added.
Earlier in 2015, there were 22 cameras installed and placed on electric poles at strategic locations through the MPLAD fund by the then MP Narendra Savoikar in Ponda town. However, after functioning for a few years they became defunct. Now due to a lack of funds for maintenance of the CCTV for over a long time the CCTVs are no longer functioning.
When questioned, the Chairperson of PMC, Ritesh Naik, said the CCTV issue was discussed in the council meeting. “We are making efforts with the government’s help to install CCTV to control crimes. In the recent past the gold dealers association in Ponda also made similar demands with PMC for installation of CCTV cameras,” said the PMC chairperson.
