One lakh CCTV cameras to be installed in Hyderabad

The Telangana government plans to install at least one lakh closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Hyderabad as part of its efforts to make Telangana safest and most secure state in the country.

This was announced in the state's first full-fledged budget for 2015-16 presented in the state assembly on Wednesday by Finance Minister E. Rajender.

He said that all the cameras will be connected to the proposed command and control centre of the police.

This is expected to be the biggest project of its kind in the country and is aimed at ensuring round-the-clock international standard surveillance system and strengthening security in this tech hub, which has witnessed several terror attacks during the last eight years.

The CCTV cameras will be installed within the limits of Hyderabad and the adjacent Cyberabad police commissionerate -- which covers the Information Technology hub of Cyberabad, home to many global giants including Microsoft and Google.

The CCTV project is expected to help the police in mapping every inch of the capital city, which houses several vital defence and research installations.

The CCTV cameras will be installed at public places such as places of worship, educational institutions, bus stops, malls, hotels and railway stations.

Hyderabad Commissioner of Police M. Mahendar Reddy had earlier said 10,000 cameras will be installed at a cost of Rs.600 crore.

He said the technology will act as a force-multiplier and help in checking crime and violation of traffic rules.

He had also said that by using the existing CCTV cameras, the city police solved 90 percent of the crimes in the last six months.