Hyderabad: Breaking norms, civic body hires CCTV cams

Hyderabad: A controversy is brewing in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation pertaining to the hire price of CCTV cameras. The corporation, which had earlier purchased 100 CCTV cameras for surveillance in its own transfer station and offices at a cost of Rs 15 lakh, hired 331 CCTV cameras at a cost of Rs 80 lakh to safeguard Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at 14 DRC (Distribution, Reception and Counting) centres during Assembly elections for a span of 40 days. But if the same CCTV cameras had been purchased, it would have been available for Rs 51.63 lakh. Violating norms, the civic body hired and installed cameras without inviting tenders.

Surprisingly, the higher authorities apparently have no idea about the loot and hired the same agency to safeguard the DRC centres during the Lok Sabha polls too.

According to highly-placed sources, the outsourcing staff working in GHMC’s I-T Wing, citing the technical vulnerability of higher authorities, manipulated them and handed over the CCTV camera installing works to Interactive Data Solution.

GHMC commissioner M. Dana Kishore conducted a review meeting pertaining to installation of CCTV cameras on November 8 and asked the I-T Wing officials to install the cameras at the earliest at the DRC centres.

Keeping the civic body commissioner’s instruction in mind, the I-T Wing’s engineer who is working on outsourcing basis, handed over the job to a private firm with vested interested to install 331 CCTV cameras without inviting tenders.

The corporation, as per the norms, can call short tenders and finalise them within three and seven days based on the urgency. This apart, the GHMC commissioner who is also the district election officer can award the works on a nomination basis.

However, none of these steps were followed and tenders for the same work was opened on November 25, after the CCTV cameras were installed by Interactive Data Solution who claimed bills worth Rs 79.80 lakh.

The private agency installed CP PLUS CCTV cameras whose market value was Rs 15,600 each. If they had been purchased, the 331 cameras would have been available for Rs 51,63, 600.

A senior GHMC official, on condition of anonymity, said that the Telangana State Technology Service (TSTS) used to take up the tender process in the corporation.

However, the official said that since the process by TSTS would be delayed, the civic body decided to take up the tender process and finalise the works.
He added that citing this, the outsourced deputy engineers had misled not only the additional commissioner but the GHMC chief also.
 
The official said that the issue would be taken to the notice of higher authorities for further action.

“The corporation  purchased 100 highly sophisticated CCTV cameras in Khairatabad at a cost of Rs 15 lakh at transfer stations but spent Rs 80 lakh for hiring 331 cameras during the Assembly polls. There were certain irregularities involved which will notified to the higher authorities. If not stopped now, the corporation would have to pay about Rs 1.20 crore for 331 cameras installed in the 14 DRC centres for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls,” the official added.

When this newspaper tried to reach GHMC commissioner M. Dana Kishore and GHMC additional commissioners Sikta Patnaik (I-T), they were not available for a comment.