Delhi High Court to Decide on BJP MLA Abhay Verma’s Plea for CCTV Cameras in Laxmi Nagar

The Delhi High Court has directed the Chief Secretary to make a decision regarding BJP MLA Abhay Verma’s request for the installation of CCTV cameras in the entire Laxmi Nagar area. Abhay Verma, the BJP MLA from Laxmi Nagar, claimed that Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) conducted a survey suggesting the need for 2,066 CCTV cameras in Laxmi Nagar. However, he alleged that the installation was selectively implemented, favoring areas represented by ruling party leaders.

Verma’s constituency includes four municipal wards, with one won by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the remaining three by the BJP. He argued that the CCTV installation process was primarily carried out in the ward won by AAP. The bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela has noted the submissions and instructed the relevant authorities and the Chief Secretary to make a timely decision and present their representations.

Advocate Santosh Tripathi, representing the Delhi Government, opposed the allegations of discrimination, asserting that the plea is politically motivated. Abhay Verma recently approached the Delhi High Court, alleging discrimination in the installation of CCTV cameras by the Delhi government. The plea claims that the AAP-led Delhi Government is installing cameras only in areas represented by AAP MLAs and Councillors while areas represented by BJP MLAs and Councillors are being overlooked.

The petitioner stated that while Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced the installation of 1,40,000 CCTV cameras across Delhi, his constituency was unjustly excluded. The petitioner, through Advocate Satya Ranjan Swain, asserts that despite multiple representations to the Chief Secretary, GNCTD, the request for CCTV cameras in the remaining wards of Laxmi Nagar has not been addressed.

The petitioner highlights a discrepancy where an AAP councillor’s request for 1,000 cameras in her ward was promptly approved, while similar requests from the petitioner for other wards in the constituency have been ignored. The petitioner argues that this selective installation is adversely affecting the law-and-order situation and safety in the remaining parts of the constituency. They seek a court order directing the installation of CCTV cameras in the remaining wards of Laxmi Nagar to ensure equitable distribution and enhance security.

Advocate Satya Ranjan Swain, representing the petitioner, states that the procedure requiring further approval from the minister after a proposal is passed by the Assembly and consulted with the Cabinet Minister is flawed. This process, according to the petition, undermines the authority of the Assembly and grants the minister undue discretion, allowing them to selectively approve projects. This discretion, the petitioner contends, often negatively impacts constituencies represented by opposition parties, thereby compromising their development. The petition asserts that such executive intervention undermines democratic principles and suggests that eliminating unnecessary approvals could enhance overall state development and fairness in resource allocation.