The state government now plans to rope in private and public establishments such as schools, hospitals, malls, jewellery stores and cooperative housing societies to tap into their CCTV camera feeds using its own network.

The government also plans to direct certain establishments at sensitive locations to install cameras outside. The feed from these cameras will be taken on an ‘as-and-when’ basis. The process will be guided by a standard Voluntary Code of Practice, which specifies the procedure and duration of obtaining and storing the feed, who to contact etc.

While CCTV cameras have met with little or no success in crime prevention, they usually help bring down traffic violations, congestion and street crime, besides improving overall public disciple. This has been seen within the first month of installing CCTV cameras in Pune.

The main hurdles that now confront the consortium and the state relate to smooth transmission, monitoring and storing the data and, most importantly, preventing leakage of sensitive data or its misuse by authorities.