5,000 surveillance cameras to be installed in Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy Monday said the state government proposed to set up integrated surveillance camera system in Hyderabad by installing 5,000 cameras to detect and track terror suspects.

Addressing the National Integration Council (NIA) meeting in Delhi, he said the government had embarked on a safe city project.

He said due to the high density of population and low police-population ratio, the law enforcement agencies were finding it difficult to scale up police service delivery with the existing infrastructure and hence the government proposed to use technology as a force multiplier.

Kiran Reddy said communal peace and harmony can be ensured with political will, courage, commitment of administration at all levels, cooperation of all stakeholders and community empowerment.

He said the state had evolved Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for maintenance of communal harmony, preventive actions to be taken, tackling of communal disturbances, and rehabilitation of victims of communal violence.

He claimed that no major communal incident took places in the state during 2012 and 2013, showing that the measures adopted by the government are yielding dividends.

He told the meeting that state ensured tackling of emergent situations with objectivity, impartiality and quick response.

He dwelt upon the initiatives launched to ensure the protection and development of people in general and women, SCs, STs and minorities in particular.

A centralised 'Dial 100' project was launched, through which any citizen from any part of the state can access the police in emergency. He said this will facilitate better service delivery for citizens especially to all disadvantaged sections including SC, ST, women, and minorities by bringing in accountability in the police.

Kiran Reddy said the government planned to set up more number of police stations exclusively manned by women officers and to increase the percentage of women in police force. He informed the meeting that the police department through a helpline was providing counselling and other required help to the women in distress.

The chief minister said the state witnessed substantial reduction in cases of atrocities against SCs/STs from 4,321 in 2010 to 3,057 in 2012. Prevention of Atrocities cases have reduced from 1,509 in 2010 to 801 in 2012.