While Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal were busy playing tug of war over the CCTV installation issue, in a survey conducted in July, the anti-terror wing of Delhi Police's special cell found that CCTVs already installed in various markets were not working. The anti-terror wing officers conducted the survey to check the security preparedness of the capital for Independence Day.

In a shocking revelation, all CCTV cameras installed at Delhi’s main markets like those in Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Saket, Greater Kailash-1 and Defence Colony were found to be defective. These CCTVs are controlled and monitored by the Delhi police.

Interestingly, a committee set up by Baijal for the installation of CCTVs in Delhi has suggested that the Delhi Police will be the nodal agency to grant the licence to install CCTVs.

The survey done by the Delhi Police's special cell, an elite anti-terror wing, has now disclosed how unsafe the capital is just a few days before the Independence Day. According to the security survey done by the special cell from July 10 to 15, out of almost 45 markets, 12 do not have working CCTV cameras.

Markets which have seen bomb blasts earlier also have non-functioning cameras. This means in case of any terror attack, CCTVs won’t be of any help.

The Sarojini Nagar market had experienced a bomb blast in 2005 in which 43 people lost their lives. However, when a special cell team conducted the survey, the officers found that out of 25 CCTVs, none was working. Similarly, 90% of the CCTVs installed at the Janpath market were found to be defective. The Janpath market was targeted by terrorists in September 2008.

Kejriwal, however, turned down the recommendation of the committee, headed by Manoj Parida, principal secretary (home) of the Delhi government. “CCTV cameras are supposed to expose crimes, the people behind it and should also make police accountable. If police were to give licence for CCTV, will police ever install CCTV cameras at such places? Never,” Kejriwal tweeted on Wednesday. In this regard, he mentioned the rescue of 39 girls from a hotel in Paharganj.