DGP Khurania is expected to personally inspect police stations where there are no CCTV cameras or where the installed systems are not operational
Amid public outrage over the assault of an army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station, it has come to light that the station does not have functional CCTV cameras. In response, Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania has requested a detailed report on police stations across the state that either lack surveillance cameras or have non-functional devices.
The Bharatpur police station, housed in a new building inaugurated in March this year, had been operating from a smaller outpost for over three years. Despite the recent move, the installation of CCTV cameras at the new premises has not yet been completed.
According to sources at the state police headquarters, an investigation is underway to determine why the cameras were not installed. “For various reasons, the old CCTV cameras could not be reinstalled in the new Bharatpur police station building. The agency responsible for the task failed to carry out the work. Additionally, the new building requires more cameras with higher quality, but the surveillance system has not yet been set up,” a source said.
DGP Khurania is expected to personally inspect police stations where there are no CCTV cameras or where the installed systems are not operational. Based on these inspections, steps will be taken to improve camera surveillance at police stations across the state.
Data from the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) on police organizations reveals that as of January 1, 2023, the state had 679 police stations. The total estimated number of CCTV cameras required for installation was around 13,647. By that date, 11,887 cameras had been installed in 591 stations, leaving approximately 1,760 cameras yet to be installed.
As of now, the Odisha government has sanctioned 684 police stations, of which 680 are operational. However, several newly inaugurated stations over the past two years are still not equipped with CCTV cameras, raising concerns about the lack of surveillance infrastructure.
Police sources confirmed that the situation is being closely monitored, with efforts underway to ensure that all police stations are equipped with functional and adequate CCTV systems in the near future.