The state government has given administrative approval for setting up an elaborate CCTV system in Thane City Police Commissionerate at a total cost of Rs492 crore.

Decision taken in 2011 Cabinet meeting

According to the police, in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, a decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting on July 24, 2011, to facilitate the decision-making process regarding the implementation of CCTV projects in Mumbai city and elsewhere in the state.

A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary and it was authorised to take all necessary decisions to take security measures.

“Due to urbanisation, industrialisation in the cities of Maharashtra state, the population is increasing. Therefore, considering the issues of law and order, the increasing crime rate, while implementing the concept of ‘safe city’, it is important to install a CCTV system. Taking into account the availability of resources and funds to implement CCTV projects in the cities of the state, the Home Department has included Thane city as per the priority policy,” a police official said.

Detailed Project report submitted in 2021

A detailed project report dated October 29, 2021, was submitted by the director general of police office to the government regarding the setting up of CCTV systems in Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Thane city. In this project proposal, a total of 5,468 CCTV cameras are proposed at 1,745 locations.

The proposal was sent to the Information Technology Department for technical approval. The department in July last year approved the ‘CCTV Project Report of Thane Police Commissionerate’.

State govt finally gives nod

Now in the ‘high power committee’ dated October 9, 2023, under the chairmanship of additional chief secretary (home) in accordance with the points in the presentation made by the Thane Police Commissionerate, it had been proposed to set up a total of 6,051 CCTV cameras in Thane Police Commissionerate at a cost of Rs492.89 crore.

“The state government has given its administrative approval for the said cost of setting up the CCTV system,” the official said.