Akhilesh to use CCTV surveillance on his own cabinet





Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav: monitoring 'dubious' visitors to his party's camp

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has decided to install CCTV cameras at the residences and camp offices of all the ministers in his cabinet.



Although there has been no confirmation regarding the decision, sources said the idea originally came from urban development minister Azam Khan who asked the CM to order installation of the electronic gadgets at his official residence and camp office.

'He was anxious about some dubious people who were visiting his camp office every day without any apparent reason. So he wanted monitoring of every activity there.



'But the CM found the idea exciting mostly because he could boast of this action during Lok Sabha election campaign to claim that his ministers were observing complete transparency in their activities,' a source close to the CM said.



Although Azam denied having discussed it, he said: 'I welcome the decision.'



According to the source, Azam and health minister Ahmed Hassan are in favour of this decision.



But a minister told Mail Today on the condition of anonymity that many of his colleagues including Raja Ram Pandey, khadi and village industry minister, Paras Nath Yadav, animal husbandry minister, Awadhesh Prasad, social welfare minister and Durga Prasad Yadav, stamp and registration minister, have opposed it.



'SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had recently said in a meeting that he was frustrated with the behaviour of many ministers. He had said he was receiving information about their dubious activities.



'He had warned them to mend their ways. What we understand from his statement is that Akhilesh is feeling disillusioned with them.



'Whatever Mulayam said was actually the words of Akhilesh. They want to go to Lok Sabha election in 2014 with a clean image so that the wish of Mulayam to become PM is fulfilled.



'The decision to install CCTVs to watch the ministers' activities will be publicised in a big way to gain votes,' the minister said.



'We have come to know that each CCTV and related monitoring room would cost Rs 50,000.



There would be CCTVs at the residences and camp offices of all 48 ministers, including Akhilesh Yadav.



The control room, according to the sources privy to the plan, is likely to be in the secretariat which will be linked to all the monitoring units at ministers' places.'



Durga Prasad Yadav, one of the ministers opposed to the move, said spending money on CCTVs would be unnecessary.



'As far as my information is concerned, this decision was taken to enhance the security of the ministers.



'But more forces were deployed at our residences only recently. So spending money on things like CCTV would be unnecessary,' he said.



