Big brother’ may soon be looking at you everywhere you go in Goa on your next holiday. The Goa Government wants to build a comprehensive CCTV surveillance system of all public places, the Chief Minister announced even as he shot down a suggestion that Government offices should be placed under CCTV surveillance.
“With the recent increase of security and terrorism threats in the country, the Goa Government would like to proactively build a comprehensive CCTV surveillance system to enhance security for its citizens, tourists and its assets and ensure safety of the same,” Parrikar said in a written reply tabled on Tuesday in the Assembly, which is currently in session.
The system will be automated, Parrikar said even as he assured that it is solely for the purpose of “curbing of terrorist and criminal activities”.Parrikar also said that an expression of interest towards commissioning of such a project would be floated in a few days.
The system will cover major roads, junctions, public places and places of strategic importance and will monitor movements all hours of the day of persons as well as vehicles.
Speaking about the funding, Parrikar said that he would seek a special grant from the Central Government on grounds that the State is a tourism dependent State. “We are asking for a special grant from the security perspective being a tourism State,” Parrikar said.
Installations of CCTVs will also raise privacy concerns as the amount of information accessible in the wrong hands could be dangerous.Goa, which is frequented by Israeli tourists among others, is a prime tourism destination, has been on the terror radar for several years now, with infamous cases of David Coleman Headley and Yasin Bhatkal admitting that they had reconnoitered the area.