PGI to plug security holes with CCTV cameras

The total cost of the project is Rs 50 lakh and to keep a watch on the CCTV footages,a special dedicated close monitoring control room would be set up wherein monitors would be put up for round the clock surveillance. Sources said that even though the proposal has already been cleared,a formal nod was awaited from the Standing Finance Committee of PGI,which would be meeting on August 29 wherein this matter would also be tabled besides other items.

In fact,there had been increasing demands for putting up CCTV cameras in PGI in the wake of number of incidents of vehicle theft on campus.

PGI’s official spokesperson Manju Wadwalkar said,“The CCTV cameras are the need of the hour in a place like PGI. As soon as it gets clearance from the Standing Finance Committee,the work would begin soon.”

It must be mentioned that on an average more than 5000 patients daily visit PGI daily in different OPDs from the entire region including Punjab,Haryana,Himachal Pradesh,Jammu and Kashmir etc.

“Given the daily average footfall of patients in the institute and the huge area that the campus is spread on,it is practically impossible to man all places. So CCTV cameras become all the more pertinent. As of the UT police department has fixed two cameras on their own to keep vigil on the some of the areas. But it would be great help,if more of these are put up,” said Iram Rizvi,in charge of PGI police post.

Sources said that the PGI administration had also been criticised in the past for not acting swiftly even when the employees had gone pleading with the administration to increase vigil on campus due to security concerns and theft cases.

Sources say that already there had been an inordinate delay for installing cameras as the testing operation in this regard was done almost a year ago.