Chennai: The Southern Railway on Monday informed the Madras high court that a total sum of '67.94 crore under Nirbhaya Fund is going to be utilised for installing CCTV cameras at various stations under its jurisdiction.
K.K.Asharaf, senior divisional security commissioner, Railway Protection Force, stated this in his counter affidavit filed in response to a taken up suo motu public interest litigation.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R.Mahadevan posted to December 7, further hearing of the case.
In the wake of the murder of 24-year-old Swathi, a techie at Nungambakkam railway station on June 24, the bench has initiated suo motu proceedings in the matter relating to ensuring public safety by taking various measures including providing CCTV cameras in all important places in the state.
Originally, citing the gruesome day light murder of Swathi in full public view and pointing out the lack of public safety and non-installation of CCTVs, Justice N.Kirubakaran sent a letter to the Chief Justice to take up a suo motu PIL.
In his counter, Asharaf submitted that as of now Chennai division of Southern Railway has spent/allocated Rs 11 crore for installation of CCTV cameras and for setting up control rooms. In the year 2015/16 proposal was mooted out for installation of video surveillance system at 82 railway stations, utilizing Nirbhaya Fund of Central government and that proposal has been accepted for implementation in the year 2016/ 2017.
There were 158 railway stations at Chennai division, 10 railway stations were already provided with CCTV cameras and presently 82 railway stations were earmarked for provision of video surveillance system utilising the amount allotted under Nirbhaya Fund by Central government, he added.
