The Odisha government has returned ₹76 crore that was earmarked for installing CCTV surveillance in police stations. This decision comes despite the fact that 823 surveillance cameras across the state are currently non-operational. The Supreme Court has mandated that these cameras must function at all times, highlighting a significant gap in compliance by state authorities. A communication from the state police headquarters confirmed these details, raising concerns about public safety and accountability.
Taking strong exception to the absence of CCTV surveillance at a police station in the state capital, then chief justice of the Orissa High Court Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh had questioned the administrative failure and observed that functioning CCTV cameras could have revealed what had happened inside the police station. The development comes despite the Supreme Court’s directions for the installation and continuous functioning of CCTV cameras at police stations and other offices of investigative agencies to ensure transparency and protect the human rights of accused persons. The Orissa High Court, which took suo motu cognisance of the incident, had directed the state government to install CCTV cameras in all police stations. The court had expressed surprise that CCTV cameras were not installed at Bharatpur police station and that cameras were non-functional or unavailable in several other police stations.
As many as 795 CCTV cameras installed in police stations and another 33 in police outposts were reported to be non-functional as of September 17, additional DGP (law and order) Sanjay Kumar wrote to additional chief secretary (home) Hemant Sharma. The CCTV surveillance system has been installed in 645 police stations and 263 police outposts across Odisha pursuant to the apex court’s directions, the police headquarters said. The Supreme Court, in 2020, had directed the Centre to ensure the installation of CCTV cameras, or closed-circuit television cameras, in the offices of all investigative agencies, including police establishments, stressing the need for transparency and the protection of the human rights of accused persons.
“As per the directions of the Supreme Court of India, all CCTV cameras installed in Police Stations and Outposts are required to remain functional at all times,” the ADG (law and order) wrote, pointing out that ₹ 76 crore allocated for the installation of the CCTV surveillance system during the 2025-26 financial year had been surrendered.
