VASCO: Taking serious cognizance of Herald report on the missing close circuit television (CCTV) cameras at important junctions in Vasco, the town-based NGO Savera led by Tara Kerkar filed a police complaint before police, demanding an immediate and thorough probe into the matter to nab the culprits.
A copy of complaint has also been sent to the South District Collector and Chief Officer of Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC).
It may be recalled that on December 3, Herald had highlighted the issue of missing CCTV cameras and that Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) and the Traffic Police had no clue about the same, which were installed under MPLAD funds in the town by spending lakhs of rupees.
Since the concerned authorities failed to lodge any police complaint on missing CCTV cameras, NGO Savera took up the issue and lodged a police complaint on Wednesday.
Addressing press conference in Vasco on Wednesday, Kerkar claimed that she was surprised to note that most CCTV cameras installed in the town were reported to be missing. She slammed the concerned officials for not taking sou-moto cognizance of missing CCTV cameras and accused them of unnecessarily passing the buck on each other.
“It was during last council term we had proposed and resolved to install CCTV cameras on the electric poles at all important junctions in Vasco. The then South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha was kind enough to accept our proposal and around 68 CCTV cameras were installed and were also used by the traffic police to monitor vehicular traffic, while the MMC was using the same to keep a check on encroachments by vendors in the vegetable market, besides other movable handcarts. However, since these cameras were lying defunct, some persons stole the same and till date no one has any clue of the same,” she alleged.
She blamed the MMC and the police for failing to keep an eye on the CCTV cameras due to which except for around 12, others have been stolen from the sites.
“We demand that the police should thoroughly investigate the case and punish the culprits”, she said.
