In its bid to add further impetus to the ongoing CCTV installation project, which is part of the Aam Aadmi Party  (AAP) Government's poll promises, the Public Works Department (PWD), the implementing agency has decided to simplify the power consumed by the CCTV's installed in residential areas. Under the project, the PWD under instruction from the Government has decided to use the nearest residence power connection to provide electricity to the CCTV cameras.

Out of the total proposed 1.4 lakh cameras it has installed, around 16,000 till date while work is going on to cover the remaining areas, said an official. The same order which has been approved by the PWD minister Sateyender Jain on 23 August of the current year, has been issued to the concerned departments and stakeholders.

The PWD officials said that the work of installation of CCTV cameras across the national Capital is in progress. "The power supply to cameras will be taken from the energy of the meter of the nearest resident where the CCTV camera is to be installed. The monthly '50 units' on the account of power consumption of the CCTV system shall be deducted from the residents electricity bill (the minus entry of 50 units power consumption will be made in the electricity bill of residents) and will be debited to the Government by the concerned Discoms of a particular area by raising a separate bill to executive engineer," read the order issued by the PWD special Secreatry Udit Prakash.

The PWD Minister has further directed the discoms and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to nominate one coordinator within seven days.

The officials further said that the each discom division will have to raise the power bill to the PWD in proper excel sheet giving details of the consumer account (CA) number, name and other details and will also have to submit a sample bill format to the Minister's office.

The Government has further has penalised the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for its slow pace in installing the CCTV cameras. The PWD has also issued show cause notice and asked the agency to install atleast 1500 cameras everyday across the city. Currently, the agency is installing 400 cameras a day.

Further, witnessing the growing demand for more CCTVs in residential areas, the Delhi Cabinet had recently approved the installation of 1.40 lakh CCTVs, taking the total number of these cameras for Delhi to nearly three lakh now.